Film and television actor Dileep Shankar was found dead in a hotel room near Vanross Junction in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday. Cantonment police have registered a case following this incident.Dileep had checked into the hotel four days ago. According to hotel staff, he had not stepped out of his room for the past two days. On Sunday, they noticed a foul smell emanating from his room and opened it to find the actor dead.
The police were informed immediately and arrived at the scene. A forensic team was deployed to examine the room, said Cantonment ACP.
"There are no signs of foul play at this stage. The exact cause of death will be ascertained after the post-mortem," said police sources.Dileep had been suffering from a serious illness, Matrubhumi reported. While the nature of the illness is unknown, reports claimed that Dileep was receiving treatment for the ailment.
Dileep's co-actors had reportedly tried contacting him on his phone but received no response. Concerned, they visited the hotel to check on him but did not reach him before his death. Further investigations are underway. A native of Ernakulam, Dileep Shankar has been part of several popular Malayalam shows. He has played important roles in serials like Amma Iriathe, Panchagni and Sundari.