Court to pronounce verdict in 2017 actress assault case on December 8
The Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court will pronounce its verdict in the 2017 actress assault case on December 8, bringing a high-profile trial that has stretched across seven years to a crucial point. In August, the Kerala High Court had sought a status report from the Principal District and
The Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court will pronounce its verdict in the 2017 actress assault case on December 8, bringing a high-profile trial that has stretched across seven years to a crucial point. In August, the Kerala High Court had sought a status report from the Principal District and
The Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court will pronounce its verdict in the 2017 actress assault case on December 8, bringing a high-profile trial that has stretched across seven years to a crucial point. In August, the Kerala High Court had sought a status report from the Principal District and
Eight years after a Malayalam actress was abducted and sexually assaulted in a car, the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court judge, Honey M Varghese, on Tuesday, posted the case for judgment on December 8. The case involves a total of ten accused, including actor Dileep ( P Gopalakrishnan). He is the eighth accused in the case.
The defence witness examination concluded in April. The case was then posted for further hearing and clarification.
The alleged crime happened in February 2017 in Angamaly when the survivor was travelling by car from Thrissur to Ernakulam. A vehicle hit the rear side of her car, following a few people, who picked up a fight with the driver and forcefully entered the survivor's car, purportedly to settle the dispute. They drove the car towards Ernakulam along the National Highway. On the way, the actress was allegedly subjected to sexual assault by the first accused, named Pulsar Suni.
He recorded the act on his mobile phone. The actress was then abandoned in front of the house of a film director, and the accused fled the scene.
During the probe, seven people were arrested, and it was revealed that the actress was abducted and sexually abused as part of a conspiracy to harm her, videotape the act and then blackmail her.
Following Suni's arrest, Dileep's name was linked to the case, and he criticised the media for propagating false information. He also filed a complaint to the State Police Chief seeking an inquiry into the circumstances in which his name was dragged to the case. A letter from Suni to Dileep, written from jail, also surfaced, further complicating matters for Dileep.
The police took him into custody while he was coming from Kodungallur, and his arrest was recorded in Angamaly after hours of interrogation in July 2017. He spent 85 days in jail before he was released on bail.
A lengthy legal battle that straddled the High Court, the Supreme Court and the trial court ensued, which now seems headed to a conclusion. In January 2020, charges were framed against Dileep and the other accused in the case. In 2022, there was a new twist in the case when actor Balachandra Kumar released audio clips allegedly of Dileep, which showed that he attempted to sabotage the assault case and planned to endanger cops who probed the case. The Crime Branch had filed a new case against Dileep and five others for alleged conspiracy to murder the investigation officials.
The chilling nature of the crime had sent shockwaves across the nation and the film industry. It also led to sweeping upheavals from women against alleged acts of sexual abuse and harassment in the industry. The actress assault case also paved the way for the constitution of the Hema committee, which submitted the report in 2019. After the government was forced to make the report public, the High Court directed that cases be filed based on revelations in the report.