Dileep Acquitted in 2017 Malayalam Actor Assault Case After Eight-Year Trial

Key Points:

A Kerala court on Monday acquitted Malayalam actor Dileep in the high-profile case relates to the February 2017 abduction and sexual assault of a prominent Malayalam actress. The court ruled that the prosecution failed to prove his involvement in the alleged criminal conspiracy. The verdict was delivered on December 8, 2025, by Ernakulam Principal Sessions Judge Honey M. Varghese, bringing an end to a legal battle that spanned nearly eight years.

Six other accused—Pulsar Suni, Martin Antony, B. Manikandan, V.P. Vijesh, H. Salim, and Pradeep—were found guilty of gang rape, conspiracy, wrongful confinement, attempt to disrobe, and assault. Their sentencing will be pronounced on December 12. Three additional accused were acquitted, while several others had earlier turned approvers during the lengthy investigation.

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Background of 2017 Assault Case

The case stems from the February 17, 2017, abduction and sexual assault of a prominent Malayalam actor, who was held captive and assaulted inside her moving car for nearly two hours in Kochi. Investigators stated that the assault was carried out by a gang led by Pulsar Suni, who also recorded the crime on his mobile phone. According to the prosecution, Suni and his associates rammed the survivor’s vehicle near Athani, forced their way in, restrained her, and committed the assault before fleeing.

Dileep, listed as the eighth accused, was alleged to have hired Suni in retaliation for a personal feud and to have offered ₹1.5 crore to obtain explicit visuals of the survivor. He also faced accusations of destroying evidence. However, the prosecution’s case weakened when several key witnesses, including actors Bindu Panicker, Edavela Babu, and Bhama, turned hostile during the trial.

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Investigation of the Case

The investigation and trial extended over eight years and included multiple rounds of forensic analysis, disputes over digital evidence, witness retractions, and allegations of evidence tampering. Police filed the first chargesheet in April 2017, and Dileep was arrested in July 2017, before being granted bail in October that year. Over time, additional investigations were ordered, including inquiries into alleged manipulation of digital evidence and illegal access to the memory card containing the assault visuals.

The trial formally began on January 30, 2020, featuring 261 witnesses, 833 prosecution documents, and lengthy cross-examinations, with witness testimony alone stretching over 438 days. Attempts by the survivor and the state government to replace the presiding judge were rejected at various judicial levels. Two key witnesses—former MLA P.T. Thomas and director Balachandra Kumar—died during the trial.

The case had a major impact on the Malayalam film industry, leading to the formation of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) and eventually the Hema Committee in 2019, set up to examine sexual harassment and gender discrimination in the industry. Although the committee submitted its report the same year, it was made public only in August 2024, following a Kerala High Court order.

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