Dileep was named eighth accused in the Feb 17 actress attack.The night of February 17, 2017, got etched in Kerala's psyche when a young Malayalam actress was brutally assaulted by thugs in a moving car in Kochi.
The horrendous night that put serious questions on the safety of women in the state had catapulted Kerala's name to national shame. The fact that a leading actress was attacked and the possible involvement of more Mollywood personalities sent Kerala into a tizzy and the state watched with bated breath as more breaking tales tumbled out.
But even a year after the horrendous night, the legal system in the state is nowhere near punishing the culprits. The Ernakulam sessions court was yet to take a decision on when to begin the trail, though sources said a date was likely to be announced soon.
Main accused Pulsar Suni and his gang of criminals, who waylaid the actress and assaulted her in the car, were apprehended soon after the crime, but the real conspirators loomed behind the veil as cops tried hard to nail the who and why links of the story. Several names, including that of actor Dileep, cropped up, assumption and conspiracy theories were floated almost on a daily basis, keeping the horrendous night alive on every Keralite's TV screen and newspaper. But the solid story on who led the gruesome attack has not yet been told.
Dileep's arrest
Almost six months after the heinous crime, when the news started shifting to the inner pages of our newspapers and our lives, the police arrested Dileep on July 10, and the media frenzy over the case reached the zenith. The police had said Dileep hired goons to assault the actress and videotape the crime. It would be an understatement to say that the arrest of actor, who portrays the everyday Malayali with the ultimate humor element, shocked Kerala. The arrest news flooded television channels and online media, cutting off Kerala from the rest of the world news, drowning even the horrendous Amarnath terror attack that left eight pilgrims dead. As national media cried themselves hoarse over the attack on a pilgrimage bus that had remained unaffected even during the most tumultuous times, Kerala was aggressively debating whether the actor actually played any role in the case and the next action by the police.
The days and weeks after the arrest, more such debates followed but no more arrest was made.
Jail food to cinema
The state that swears by its stars lapped on it every bit of news about the star behind the bars. What does he eat? What does he do in the prison? The people's doubts on the case no know bounds, bizzare questions kept coming up. 'Reports' from the prison said the actor could not watch a movie as the cops were unsure of manning the prisoners out for the film. During these days, the police also took Dileep out for evidence gathering, much to the amusement of crowd, who also meticulously turned up to see the actor in action. But unperturbed by the volley of cat-calls and boos, Dileep greeted the crowd with waves and a smile.
Enter Kavya Madhavan
Dileep's wife, Kavya Madhavan, too was under police scanner and was quizzed by ADGP B Sandhya, setting off speculations about another star arrest. More personalities were called to the Aluva Police Club that had earlier witnessed a marathon grilling of Dileep, 2 weeks after which he was arrested. But no arrests were made.
Dileep walks out
After 85 days in prison, Dileep was granted bail on October 3 and the actor walked out of the Aluva sub jail. And cameras followed as he walked up to his house, greeted family members and went on a pilgrimage of sorts with wife and daughter Meenakshi.
Charge sheet
In November, the special investigation team (SIT) submitted a subsidiary charge sheet naming Dileep as the eighth accused. More importantly, the charge sheet named Dileep's former wife Manju Warrier as a witness with the police claiming that Dileep held a grudge against the victim for wrecking his marriage with Manju. Dileep then went on to marry Kavya Madhavan. And Dileep's marital ties were laid bare for all to scrutinize. The police had also
The case is likely to go on trail soon but the police are still working overtime to gather evidence against Dileep.
Who plotted the crime – was it Dileep and why? A year on, Kerala is waiting for the answers.
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