“This Was A Fake Case Made To Destroy My Image,” Says Dileep After Acquittal
“This was a fake case propped up by the Kerala police with the help of certain sections of the media. It was done to destroy my image and my career,” actor Dileep said moments after he was acquitted in the Kerala actor assault case on Monday.
Speaking to reporters outside the court, Dileep said he had endured years of humiliation, media trials and false allegations, and that the verdict had finally given him justice.
He also said that his former wife, Manju Warrier, had given a statement that the police used to build a false case against him. He added that the truth has now prevailed and justice has finally been served.
Also, read| Kerala Actor Assault Case: Actor Dileep Acquitted
Dileep stated that he always had faith in the legal system and thanked everyone who stood by him during the long legal battle.
Dileep, who was the eighth accused in the case, said the judgment has exposed the motives of those who targeted him. According to him, the case was built on fabricated stories, manipulated narratives and selective leaks that painted him as a villain even before the trial began.
He also claimed that a section of the film industry worked with the police and media to corner him professionally and personally.
The Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court on Monday acquitted Dileep, while finding accused numbers one to six guilty of gang rape and conspiracy.
Also, read| Kerala Actor Assault Case: Dileep And Pulsar Suni Reach Court
Judge Honey M. Varghese ruled that there was no evidence to prove Dileep’s involvement in planning or supporting the 2017 attack on the female actor. All ten accused were present during the pronouncement of the verdict.
Prime accused Pulsar Suni (Sunil Kumar) and five others, Martin Antony, B. Manikandan, V. P. Vijeesh, H. Saleem and Pradeep, were convicted for abducting and sexually assaulting the actress inside a moving vehicle. Their sentencing will be announced separately.
The case had shaken Kerala’s film industry, sparked debates on misogyny in cinema, and contributed to the rise of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC).
