The state government has approached the Kerala High Court challenging the verdict of the Principal Sessions Court, Ernakulam, in the 2017 actress assault case.

In the petition, it is argued that the acquittal of several accused, including actor Dileep, should be reconsidered. The plea also contended that the punishment awarded to those convicted was inadequate and sought stricter sentencing.

The Sessions Court delivered a split verdict on December 8, 2025, nearly eight years after the incident that shook the Malayalam film industry. In the judgment, Judge Honey M Varghese convicted six accused, including the prime suspect Sunilkumar N S alias Pulsar Suni. They were sentenced to 20 years’ rigorous imprisonment for gang rape and criminal conspiracy and fined ₹50,000 each.

However, the court acquitted Dileep and three others, holding that the prosecution failed to prove the alleged conspiracy or establish that the actor had masterminded or facilitated the crime. He was also cleared of charges related to destruction of evidence under IPC Sections 201 and 204, as well as offences under Sections 66E and 67A of the Information Technology Act.

Along with him, the court acquitted Charlie Thomas of harbouring an offender, Sanil Kumar of conspiracy and criminal intimidation, and Sarath G Nair of causing the disappearance of evidence. They had been arraigned as the seventh, ninth and fifteenth accused, respectively.

Those convicted in the case include Pulsar Suni and his associates Martin Antony, Manikandan B, Vijeesh VP, Saleem H and Pradeep. They were found guilty of gang rape, kidnapping, wrongful confinement, assault with intent to disrobe, and criminal conspiracy under the IPC.

Additional charges were proved against some of the accused. Pulsar Suni was convicted under the Information Technology Act for recording and circulating sexually explicit material, while Martin Antony was found guilty of causing the disappearance of evidence. The court, however, acquitted Pulsar Suni of the separate charge of criminal intimidation.

The case dates back to a February night in 2017, when a leading Malayalam actress was abducted while travelling near Angamaly. Investigators said a group of men intercepted her vehicle, forced their way inside, and assaulted her for several hours in the moving car along the national highway, filming the attack on a mobile phone to use for blackmail. The survivor was later dropped near a film director’s residence.

While the police swiftly arrested the direct perpetrators, the investigation took a dramatic turn months later with the arrest of Dileep, who was accused of orchestrating the assault as part of a personal vendetta — an allegation the Sessions Court found unproven.