Malayalam Actor Dileep Acquitted In 2017 Actress Assault Case
A Kerala court acquitted actor Dileep in the 2017 actress assault case, while six others, including prime accused Pulsar Suni, were found guilty. The Ernakulam court's verdict followed a lengthy trial.
A Kerala court on Monday acquitted popular Malayalam actor Dileep in the high-profile sexual assault case involving a South Indian actress in Kochi in 2017. While Dileep was cleared of all charges, the court found six others, including the prime accused, Sunil N S (widely known as Pulsar Suni), guilty for their direct involvement in the crime.
The verdict was delivered by Ernakulam Principal Sessions Judge Honey M Varghese, following a lengthy trial that concluded on November 25. Along with Dileep, three other individuals facing trial were also acquitted.
This case had deeply disturbed Kerala’s social fabric when the actress, who has appeared in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam films, was abducted for nearly two hours after her car was forcibly taken on the night of February 17, 2017. The incident sparked widespread outrage and drew nationwide attention.
According to prosecution details, several accused forcibly entered the actress’s vehicle during the ordeal and fled through a crowded area after the attack.
The accused standing trial were Sunil N S alias Pulsar Suni, Martin Antony, Manikandan B, Vijesh V P, Salim H, Pradeep, Charly Thomas, actor Dileep (real name P Gopalakrishnan), Sanil Kumar alias Mesthri Sanil, and Sharath.
Authorities arrested the accused shortly after the incident and initially filed a charge sheet against seven individuals in April 2017. The investigation took a significant turn when Dileep was arrested on July 10, 2017, after the probe team discovered that the prime suspect, Suni, had allegedly sent him a letter from jail.
Dileep was later granted bail on October 3, 2017, and remained under scrutiny until the trial’s conclusion.
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