Doctor ‘lured and robbed’ by Malayalam actors; a rape case now adds a twist

Two aspiring actors in the Malayalam film industry, Athulya Chandra and Bibin Perumbally, have been arrested in Kochi for allegedly luring a doctor to a flat under the pretense of an emergency medical call. Once there, the three accused – Athulya, Bibin, and driver K B Vishnu – allegedly assaulted and robbed the doctor, taking digital devices worth Rs 3.25 lakh. The incident occurred on November 2, and the doctor lodged a complaint two days later, fearing the gang's threats if he disclosed the incident.

The twist in the story came on Friday, when police registered a rape case against the doctor following a complaint from Athulya's relative, a woman in her early 50s. The relative alleged that the doctor had sexually assaulted her in a hotel room last month. The doctor remains unarrested. Athulya, a law graduate who practiced at the Kerala High Court under a prominent criminal lawyer, made her Malayalam film debut in 2019's Ganagandharvan, directed by Ramesh Pisharody, a current Congress legislator.

Her breakthrough role was in the 2025 Malayalam film Dies Irae, featuring Pranav Mohanlal, son of actor Mohanlal.

The police are still investigating the full picture, as the two cases are connected. Preliminary evidence suggests that the doctor was not robbed but rather the target of a calculated extortion attempt. The gang allegedly lured the doctor before assaulting and stripping him of his valuables. Police are currently searching for nine others involved in the assault.