Kochi, Kerala: The Kerala government has moved the Kerala High Court against its recent verdict acquitting Malayalam actor Dileep in the 2017 actress gang rape case. The state challenged the verdict seeking conviction of Dileep as well as three others who were acquitted by the trial court.

In its appeal, the state also sought enhancement of the sentence awarded to the convicted persons, such as Sunil NS aka Pulsar Suni, Martin Antony, Manikandan B, Vijeesh VP, Salim H aka Vadival Salim and Pradeep.

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Ernakulam Principal District and Sessions Court judge Honey M Varghese acquitted Dileep while convicting six other men in December last year. The court had sentenced the six convicts to 20 years rigorous imprisonment which is the minimum prescribed punishment under Section 376D (gang rape) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

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