A file photo of actor Dileep
Credit: Facebook/Dileep
A Kerala court on Monday acquitted actor Dileep in the case pertaining to the abduction and sexual assault of a popular south Indian actress by a gang allegedly hired by him.
Ernakulam principal sessions judge Honey M. Varghese found accused number one to six guilty of gang rape and conspiracy. Four others, including Dileep, were found not guilty.
All 10 accused in the case were present in the court when the verdict was pronounced.
Dileep was the eighth accused in the case that rocked Kerala and led to serious repercussions in the Malayalam film industry — formation of Justice Hema committee to study problems faced by women in the film industry as well as formation of Women in Cinema Collective by a group of women film personalities.
The investigation and trial also witnessed many hurdles with as many as 28 witnesses, including prominent film personalities, turning hostile and two special prosecutors quitting.
It was on February 17, 2017 that the actress was abducted and sexually assaulted by a gang led by key accused Sunil alias Pulsar Suni in a moving car.
As incriminating evidence linking Dileep with the gang emerged, the police arraigned him in the case and arrested him in July 2017. He spent around three months in prison until he got bail.
The trial in the case began in March 2018 and it dragged on owing to various twists and turns, the most crucial being the statement of film director Balachandra Kumar that Dileep possessed the video of the sexual assault on the actress.
A fresh case of conspiring to murder the police official investigating the case was also registered against Dileep on the basis of Kumar's revelation.
Timeline of the case
Feb 17, 2017: Actress abducted and raped in Kochi
Feb 18, 2017: Actress lodges complaint
Feb 19, 2017: Dileep's ex-wife and actress Manju Warrier says there was a larger conspiracy behind the attack; Dileep counters that attempts to cook up stories are going on
Feb 23, 2017: Prime accused, Sunil alias Pulsar Suni, held dramatically from court room while trying to surrender
June 28, 2017: Dileep quizzed by police team
July 10, 2017: Dileep arrested
Oct 3, 2017: Dileep gets bail from Kerala High Court
Nov 22, 2017: Charge-sheet filed against Dileep
March 8, 2018: Trial in the case begins
Dec 25, 2021: Filmmaker Balachandra Kumar reveals Dileep's link with the accused and that Dileep was in possession of the copy of the rape video
January 4, 2022: Court gives permission for further probe into Dileep's role
January 9, 2022: Fresh case against Dileep for hatching conspiracy to murder police officials investigation the case, including DySP Baiju Paulose
Dec 7, 2023: High Court orders probe into unauthorised access of the memory card containing the rape video that was in court's possession
December 11, 2024: Final trial begins
November 25, 2025: Court posts case for verdict on December 8