Kerala Actor Assault Case: Dileep And Pulsar Suni Reach Court
The long-awaited verdict in the Kerala actor assault case began this morning at the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court.
The judgment, spread across more than 4,000 pages, is one of the longest and most awaited verdicts in recent Indian judicial history.
Principal Sessions Judge Honey M. Varghese started reading out the order at 11:00 a.m. Actor Dileep and the prime accused, Pulsar Suni, have reached the court along with the other accused.
Except for the ninth accused, who is still in jail in another case, all the other accused are out on bail and have appeared for the verdict. The survivor, a well-known woman actor, is staying at her home in Thrissur and is not attending the proceedings.
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Since early morning, large crowds have gathered outside the court complex. Media teams, police officers, lawyers, activists, and people connected to the case filled the area, reflecting the enormous public interest.
Even on Sunday, the judge had reportedly opened her office to continue working on the massive judgment.
The case goes back to the night of February 17, 2017, when the survivor was kidnapped while travelling from Thrissur to Kochi for work. She was forced into her own car and sexually assaulted by Pulsar Suni, a known criminal who also recorded the attack on his phone. After almost two hours, she was dropped near a filmmaker’s house, who immediately helped her reach the police.
During the assault, Suni told the survivor that he was acting on a “quotation”, suggesting someone else had ordered the crime. This clue became important as the investigation moved forward.
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Police soon found phone records, statements, and links between several accused. These findings eventually led them to Malayalam actor Dileep, who was arrested on July 10, 2017, and made the eighth accused.
He was charged with criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, gang rape, and offences under the Information Technology Act.
According to investigators, Dileep had a personal grudge against the survivor because she once confirmed details about his earlier relationship, which he viewed as a betrayal.
His arrest sharply divided the Malayalam film industry. Some supported the survivor, while others defended Dileep. The incident triggered a major conversation about power, gender, and safety in Malayalam cinema. Dileep spent 85 days in custody before getting bail.
