Survivor Awaits Justice As Dileep Case Verdict Comes Today
The long-awaited verdict in the Kerala actor assault case is scheduled to be announced today, December 8, 2025, at the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court. Principal Sessions Judge Honey M. Varghese will read out the judgment at 11:00 a.m. All the key accused are expected to be present in court.
Except for the ninth accused, who is still in jail with another case, the others are out on bail and will appear for the verdict. The survivor, a well-known woman actor, is staying at her home in Thrissur and is not coming to court.
Since early morning, media teams, police officers, lawyers, and people connected to the case have gathered in large numbers outside the court. Even on Sunday, the judge had reportedly opened her office to work on the judgment, showing the seriousness of the case.
The case dates back to the night of February 17, 2017, when the survivor was kidnapped while travelling from Thrissur to Kochi for work.
She was forcibly taken inside her own car and sexually assaulted by Pulsar Suni, a known criminal.
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He recorded the attack on his phone. After nearly two hours, she was dropped near a filmmaker’s house, who immediately helped her reach the police.
When the police began their investigation, they soon realised this was not a random crime. During the assault, Suni had told the survivor that he was acting on a “quotation”, meaning a contract from someone else. This clue became central to the entire investigation.
As more details came out, investigators found phone call records, statements, and connections between several accused men.
These findings eventually led them to Malayalam actor Dileep. On July 10, 2017, he was arrested and made the eighth accused. The charges against him included criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, gang rape, and offences under the Information Technology Act.
According to the police, Dileep had a personal grudge against the survivor because she had once confirmed details about his past relationship, which he viewed as betrayal.
After his arrest, the Malayalam film industry became sharply divided, with some supporting the survivor and others standing with Dileep. The case triggered a huge public debate on gender, power, and safety in cinema. Dileep spent 85 days in custody before getting bail in October 2017.
The trial went through several dramatic turns. Two special public prosecutors resigned, accusing the trial judge of bias. Many key witnesses turned hostile, which weakened parts of the prosecution’s case.
Yet new twists kept appearing. In 2021, director Balachandrakumar claimed he had secretly recorded conversations from Dileep’s home, suggesting the actor had access to the assault video. A makeup artist also said that Pulsar Suni once worked as Kavya Madhavan’s driver, creating more links between the accused.
Another major shock came when a forensic report showed that the memory card containing the assault video, which was supposed to be safely kept in court custody, had been illegally accessed multiple times. A High Court inquiry confirmed that some court staff and even a magistrate had viewed the card without permission. However, no action was taken against them. Instead, the media organisation that exposed this issue faced contempt cases.
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When the trial was nearing its end, the police filed a fresh FIR accusing Dileep of conspiring to intimidate investigating officers. Meanwhile, Pulsar Suni stayed in jail for years until the Supreme Court granted him bail in 2024 because of the long delay. Final arguments ended in February 2025, but the court continued asking for clarifications until November.
The 2017 assault and the long trial that followed had a deep impact on Malayalam cinema. Women actors came together to form the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) to demand safer workplaces and stronger systems to report harassment.
The Kerala government later appointed the Hema Committee in 2019 to study the working conditions of women in the film industry. Although the committee submitted its report the same year, it was made public only in 2024, and even then, only partly. The findings sparked fresh conversations on exploitation, gender inequality, and the need for reforms in the industry.
After eight long years, the case has reached its final stage. The verdict expected today is one of the most-awaited judgments in Kerala’s recent history.
