2017 actress assault case : Ernakulam court to pronounce verdict on Dec 8; Actor Dileep is 8th accused
The alleged crime happened in February 2017 in Angamaly when the survivor was travelling by car from Thrissur to Ernakulam. A vehicle hit the rear side of her car, following a few people, who picked up a fight with the driver and forcefully entered the survivor's car, purportedly to settle the dispute. They drove the car towards Ernakulam along the National Highway. On the way, the actress was allegedly subjected to sexual assault by the first accused, named Pulsar Suni.
Ernakulam: The final verdict of the controversial actress assault case will come to it’s legal conclusion on December 8th after 8 years of legal fight. There are 10 accused in the case with Malayalam actor Dileep being the 8th accused. Eight years after actress was abducted and sexually assaulted in a car, the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court judge, Honey M Varghese, on Tuesday, posted the case for judgment on December 8.
During the probe, seven people were arrested, and it was revealed that the actress was abducted and sexually abused as part of a conspiracy to harm her, videotape the act and then blackmail her.
The defence witness examination concluded in April. The case was then posted for further hearing and clarification.
The case has led to a major impact in the Malayalam cinema industry with many actors supporting the victim and few siding with actor Dileep. During the case hearing many witnesses turned hostile in favour of actor Dileep. Dileep, who was one of the prominent star in the industry faced massive backlash after his arrest and evidences that suggested his involvement in the case.
The alleged crime happened in February 2017 in Angamaly when the survivor was travelling by car from Thrissur to Ernakulam. A vehicle hit the rear side of her car, following a few people, who picked up a fight with the driver and forcefully entered the survivor's car, purportedly to settle the dispute. They drove the car towards Ernakulam along the National Highway. On the way, the actress was allegedly subjected to sexual assault by the first accused, named Pulsar Suni.
He recorded the act on his mobile phone. The actress was then abandoned in front of the house of a film director, and the accused fled the scene.
Following Suni's arrest, Dileep's name was linked to the case, and he criticised the media for propagating false information. He also filed a complaint to the State Police Chief seeking an inquiry into the circumstances in which his name was dragged to the case. A letter from Suni to Dileep, written from jail, also surfaced, further complicating matters for Dileep
The police took him into custody while he was coming from Kodungallur, and his arrest was recorded in Angamaly after hours of interrogation in July 2017. He spent 85 days in jail before he was released on bail.
A lengthy legal battle that straddled the High Court, the Supreme Court and the trial court ensued, which now seems headed to a conclusion.
In January 2020, charges were framed against Dileep and the other accused in the case. In 2022, there was a new twist in the case when actor Balachandra Kumar released audio clips allegedly of Dileep, which showed that he attempted to sabotage the assault case and planned to endanger cops who probed the case. The Crime Branch had filed a new case against Dileep and five others for alleged conspiracy to murder the investigation officials.