However, the court convicted six accused, including the prime accused Sunil NS, known as Pulsar Suni, for orchestrating and carrying out the assault. The sentencing of those found guilty is scheduled for December 12.
Dileep, who appeared in court earlier in the day, told reporters after the verdict that he had been “falsely implicated.” Without naming anyone, he alleged that a senior woman police officer and a group within the force had conspired to damage his reputation and career.
The 2017 Assault Case
The case centres on a leading actress who has worked across Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu industries. On February 17, 2017, while travelling in a car, she was abducted by a gang, assaulted, and filmed, before being released shortly after. The incident triggered widespread outrage in the South Indian film fraternity and led to one of Kerala’s most closely watched criminal trials.
Police initially arrested several suspects and filed the first chargesheet in April 2017. The investigation later expanded to include 10 accused under various IPC sections. Pulsar Suni was named the mastermind behind the crime.
Dileep was arrested on July 10, 2017, after investigators claimed the main accused had written him a letter from jail. He was granted bail in October that year.
A Lengthy Trial
The trial, which began on March 8, 2018, extended over nearly eight years. The court examined 261 witnesses, including prominent film industry figures; 28 later retracted their statements. The process of recording evidence alone took 438 days. The prosecution placed 833 documents and 142 material objects on record, while the defence submitted 221 documents.
The case also saw two special prosecutors resign and multiple procedural challenges raised by the survivor. With the verdict now delivered, attention shifts to the sentencing of the convicted accused later this week.
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