Actor Dileep acquitted after 9-year legal battle in abduction and assault case: All you need to know
A Sessions Court in Kerala on Monday (8th December) acquitted Malayalam actor Dileep in the 2017 actress assault case, saying the prosecution was unable to prove that he played any role in a criminal conspiracy behind the attack. The verdict was delivered by Ernakulam District and Principal Sessions Judge Honey M Varghese at 11 am. Along with this, the court convicted six others for offences including criminal conspiracy, wrongful confinement, assault with the intention to outrage modesty, abduction, attempt to disrobe and gang rape. The accused who have been convicted include Pulsar Suni (A1), Martin Antony (A2), B Manikandan (A3), VP Vijeesh (A4), H Saleem (A5), and C Pradeep (A6). The court has convicted all of them under sections 120B, 340, 354, 366, 354B, and 376D of the Indian Penal Code. Their quantum of punishment will be announced on 12th December. Soon after the verdict, Dileep thanked everyone who stood by him during the past nine years and claimed the case was built on a “criminal conspiracy” against him. He alleged that his former wife, actor Manju Warrier, first made the allegations, which were later “implemented” by a senior police officer and his team by creating a false story using the prime accused. Dileep said the police used media and social media to damage his reputation and life. “They joined hands with the prime accused and his jailmates to cook up a story against me. They also planted this story in the media. But everything fell apart in court. They tried to destroy my entire life, but the truth has won,” he said. The Kerala government soon responded that it would challenge the acquittal in a higher court. Minister of Law P Rajeev met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and instructed the prosecution to initiate the process for filing an appeal. Party leaders, including MV Govindan, said they would continue standing with the survivor and support her fight for justice. Background of the case On the night of 17th February 2017, a leading Malayalam actress was abducted and sexually assaulted inside her car while travelling in Kochi. The attack lasted for almost two hours. The accused also allegedly recorded videos of the assault to blackmail the survivor later. The police named Sunil N.S., popularly known as Pulsar Suni, as the prime accused. The prosecution contended that Dileep, who was Accused No. 8, had hatched a conspiracy with Suni and others to commit the crime out of personal hostility towards the survivor. As many as 12 persons were initially booked in the case. Of them, two – Pratheesh Chacko and Raju Joseph – were discharged later, while another accused, Vishnu, became approver. The remaining accused included Martin Antony, Manikandan B, Vijeesh V.P., Salim H (Vadival Salim), Pradeep, Charly Thomas and Sanil Kumar (Mesthiri Sanil). He was arrested in July 2017, based on the claim that Pulsar Suni had written to him from prison hinting at his involvement. Dileep was in jail for about 80 days before the High Court gave him bail. Pulsar Suni spent more than seven-and-a-half years in custody, which is extremely unusual, before he received bail from the Supreme Court in September 2024 on the grounds that the trial was taking too long. How the case moved forward over the years The police filed the first chargesheet in April 2017. Later that year, they filed a supplementary chargesheet naming more accused and adding further details about the conspiracy. On 21st June, 2017, Manju Warrier gave a crucial testimony to the police, stating that the survivor had confided in her about the relationship between Dileep and Kavya Madhavan which is a detail which, according to the survivor, had triggered resentment in Dileep. In 2018, Dileep had filed a plea before the High Court seeking a CBI investigation in the case, alleging that the Kerala Police was biased. This was dismissed, observing that the accused cannot demand which agency should investigate the case against him. An appeal against this was filed this year, which was also dismissed by the Division Bench, noting that the trial was heading towards a conclusion. In 2021, further investigation was ordered after filmmaker Balachandra Kumar said that Dileep possessed visuals of the assault. Another case was also registered, saying a conspiracy to harm investigation officers. In 2022, allegations of illegal access to the memory card kept in court custody led to a High Court-ordered fact-finding probe and new guidelines on handling sexually explicit evidence. A long trial with hundreds of witnesses The trial became one of the longest-running cases in Kerala’s recent history. A total of 261 witnesses were examined, including many well-known personalities from the Malayalam film industry. However, several of them turned hostile in court, weakening the prosecution’s case. The investigation officer alone was questioned for 109 days. The court accepted 834 documents as evidence and also exa
A Sessions Court in Kerala on Monday (8th December) acquitted Malayalam actor Dileep in the 2017 actress assault case, saying the prosecution was unable to prove that he played any role in a criminal conspiracy behind the attack. The verdict was delivered by Ernakulam District and Principal Sessions Judge Honey M Varghese at 11 am.
Along with this, the court convicted six others for offences including criminal conspiracy, wrongful confinement, assault with the intention to outrage modesty, abduction, attempt to disrobe and gang rape.
The accused who have been convicted include Pulsar Suni (A1), Martin Antony (A2), B Manikandan (A3), VP Vijeesh (A4), H Saleem (A5), and C Pradeep (A6). The court has convicted all of them under sections 120B, 340, 354, 366, 354B, and 376D of the Indian Penal Code. Their quantum of punishment will be announced on 12th December.
Soon after the verdict, Dileep thanked everyone who stood by him during the past nine years and claimed the case was built on a “criminal conspiracy” against him. He alleged that his former wife, actor Manju Warrier, first made the allegations, which were later “implemented” by a senior police officer and his team by creating a false story using the prime accused.
Dileep said the police used media and social media to damage his reputation and life. “They joined hands with the prime accused and his jailmates to cook up a story against me. They also planted this story in the media. But everything fell apart in court. They tried to destroy my entire life, but the truth has won,” he said.
The Kerala government soon responded that it would challenge the acquittal in a higher court. Minister of Law P Rajeev met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and instructed the prosecution to initiate the process for filing an appeal. Party leaders, including MV Govindan, said they would continue standing with the survivor and support her fight for justice.
Background of the case
On the night of 17th February 2017, a leading Malayalam actress was abducted and sexually assaulted inside her car while travelling in Kochi. The attack lasted for almost two hours. The accused also allegedly recorded videos of the assault to blackmail the survivor later.
The police named Sunil N.S., popularly known as Pulsar Suni, as the prime accused. The prosecution contended that Dileep, who was Accused No. 8, had hatched a conspiracy with Suni and others to commit the crime out of personal hostility towards the survivor.
As many as 12 persons were initially booked in the case. Of them, two – Pratheesh Chacko and Raju Joseph – were discharged later, while another accused, Vishnu, became approver. The remaining accused included Martin Antony, Manikandan B, Vijeesh V.P., Salim H (Vadival Salim), Pradeep, Charly Thomas and Sanil Kumar (Mesthiri Sanil).
He was arrested in July 2017, based on the claim that Pulsar Suni had written to him from prison hinting at his involvement. Dileep was in jail for about 80 days before the High Court gave him bail. Pulsar Suni spent more than seven-and-a-half years in custody, which is extremely unusual, before he received bail from the Supreme Court in September 2024 on the grounds that the trial was taking too long.
How the case moved forward over the years
The police filed the first chargesheet in April 2017. Later that year, they filed a supplementary chargesheet naming more accused and adding further details about the conspiracy.
On 21st June, 2017, Manju Warrier gave a crucial testimony to the police, stating that the survivor had confided in her about the relationship between Dileep and Kavya Madhavan which is a detail which, according to the survivor, had triggered resentment in Dileep.
In 2018, Dileep had filed a plea before the High Court seeking a CBI investigation in the case, alleging that the Kerala Police was biased. This was dismissed, observing that the accused cannot demand which agency should investigate the case against him. An appeal against this was filed this year, which was also dismissed by the Division Bench, noting that the trial was heading towards a conclusion.
In 2021, further investigation was ordered after filmmaker Balachandra Kumar said that Dileep possessed visuals of the assault. Another case was also registered, saying a conspiracy to harm investigation officers.
In 2022, allegations of illegal access to the memory card kept in court custody led to a High Court-ordered fact-finding probe and new guidelines on handling sexually explicit evidence.
A long trial with hundreds of witnesses
The trial became one of the longest-running cases in Kerala’s recent history. A total of 261 witnesses were examined, including many well-known personalities from the Malayalam film industry. However, several of them turned hostile in court, weakening the prosecution’s case.
The investigation officer alone was questioned for 109 days. The court accepted 834 documents as evidence and also examined two defence witnesses. During the course of the trial, two important witnesses, former MLA PT Thomas and director Balachandra Kumar, passed away.
Ten accused, including Pulsar Suni, faced trial on charges such as criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, sexual assault, gang rape, destroying evidence, and other offences under the IPC and IT Act. Dileep had an additional charge linked to the destruction of evidence. However, after reviewing the entire evidence, the court concluded that the conspiracy angle involving Dileep was not convincingly proven.
