A Kerala court on Monday acquitted Malayalam actor Dileep in the high-profile 2017 actress assault case, nearly nine years after the incident that shook the Malayalam film industry. The verdict was delivered at 11 am by Ernakulam District and Principal Sessions Judge Honey M Varghese.
While Dileep was found not guilty after the prosecution failed to prove his role in the alleged criminal conspiracy, the court convicted six other accused on serious charges including criminal conspiracy, wrongful confinement, assault to outrage modesty, abduction, attempt to disrobe and gang rape.
Court Finds Conspiracy Charges Unproven Against Dileep
Dileep, who was listed as Accused No. 8, had also faced an additional charge of destruction of evidence. However, the court ruled that his involvement in the larger conspiracy could not be established by the prosecution.
Reacting after the verdict, the actor thanked those who stood by him over the past nine years and alleged that the case against him stemmed from a “criminal conspiracy” first flagged by his former wife, actor Manju Warrier.
“They [the police] got together with the prime accused [Pulsar Suni] and his jail mates to concoct a fake story against me. They got together with some media and spread this fake story on social media. But the fake story fell apart in court. The real conspiracy was against me. In these nearly nine years, my image in society and my life itself was ruined,” Dileep said.
Kerala Government to Challenge the Verdict
Soon after the judgment, the Kerala government announced it will file an appeal against the sessions court order.
Law Minister P Rajeev held discussions with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, following which the prosecution was directed to begin preliminary steps for filing the appeal.
Reacting to the outcome, MV Govindan said the court had found several accused guilty but held that the larger conspiracy was not proved. He added that the government stood with the survivor and would approach higher courts, a position supported by the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
Background of the 2017 Actress Assault Case
The case relates to the abduction and alleged sexual assault of a leading Malayalam actor inside her car for nearly two hours in Kochi on February 17, 2017.
A total of ten accused, including Pulsar Suni, Martin Antony, Manikandan B, Vijesh VP, Salim H, Pradeep, Charly Thomas, Sanil Kumar alias Mesthri Sanil and Sharath, had faced trial under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act.
ALSO READ: Netflix acquires Warner Bros: What it means for you
Police filed the first chargesheet in April 2017, and Dileep was arrested in July 2017 after investigators claimed Pulsar Suni had sent him a letter from jail. He was granted bail in October 2017.
CBI Probe Plea and Further Investigations
In 2018, Dileep moved the court seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe, alleging bias by the Kerala Police. The plea was dismissed with the court observing that an accused cannot choose the investigating agency.
In 2021, further investigation was ordered after filmmaker Balachandra Kumar alleged that Dileep possessed visuals of the assault. In 2022, allegations of illegal access to the memory card kept in court custody led to a High Court-ordered fact-finding probe and fresh guidelines on handling sexually explicit evidence.
Trial Spanned Years With 261 Witnesses Examined
During the long trial, a total of 261 witnesses were examined, including several film industry figures, many of whom later turned hostile. The investigation officer alone was examined for 109 days.
The court admitted 834 documents and examined two defence witnesses. Two key witnesses—former MLA PT Thomas and filmmaker Balachandra Kumar—died during the course of the trial.
Broader Impact: #MeToo and Mollywood Reckoning
The case triggered a massive churning within the Malayalam film industry. In May 2017, the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) launched the “Avalkoppam” campaign to support the survivor amid industry backlash.
The Kerala government later formed the Justice Hema Committee, whose 2024 report (released in August) confirmed widespread sexual exploitation in the industry, leading to structural reforms including the formation of internal committees by industry bodies.
