The long-awaited verdict in the 2017 Malayalam actress assault case, in which actor Dileep is an accused, will be announced on December 8. Kerala now awaits a landmark judgment that could reshape the film industry’s power dynamics.
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KERALA: The Kerala Court will pronounce its verdict on December 8, 2024, in the 2017 Kerala actress assault case, in which Malayalam actor Dileep is among the 10 accused. The court reserved its judgment on Tuesday, marking the conclusion of a prolonged trial that spanned nearly five years and included extensive legal battles in multiple courts.
Background
The case remains one of the most closely watched in Kerala’s legal and cinematic history. Malayalam cine actor Dileep is one of the 10 accused and has been charged with allegedly conspiring to abduct and sexually assault a fellow actress.
The incident occurred on February 17, 2017, when the survivor, a popular actress who has worked across Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu cinema, was allegedly abducted and sexually assaulted inside a moving vehicle in Kochi for nearly two hours. She filed a complaint the same night, leading to the arrest of multiple suspects, including the prime accused, Pulsar Suni.
In July 2017, investigations pointed to a conspiracy behind the assault, resulting in the arrest of Dileep. He was later named the eighth accused in the charge sheet.
The trial officially began on January 30, 2020, and has been marred by twists and prolonged litigation, including:
- Allegations of evidence tampering
- Hostile witnesses
- Multiple petitions before the Kerala High Court and the Supreme Court
- Accusations of deliberate attempts to delay proceedings
Special Judge Honey M Varghese presided over the trial. Though the survivor and the state government filed petitions to replace the judge, citing perceived bias, the Supreme Court dismissed the pleas, allowing her to continue.
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More than 200 witnesses testified, and the case involved extensive forensic analysis of digital evidence. All accused have been booked under major IPC sections, including:
- 120B – Criminal conspiracy
- 366 – Kidnapping
- 376D – Gang rape
along with provisions of the Information Technology Act.
In September 2024, the Supreme Court granted bail to Pulsar Suni, remarking that the trial had already taken too long.
Beyond the courtroom, the case exposed systemic misogyny and lack of institutional safeguards within the Malayalam film industry. Public outrage led to the rise of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) and the formation of the Hema Committee in 2019 to investigate:
- Workplace harassment
- Gender discrimination
- Absence of redressal mechanisms for women in cinema
Although the committee submitted its report in 2019, it was released to the public only on August 19, 2024, after a legal battle. The heavily redacted report still triggered a fresh wave of testimonies and #MeToo disclosures in Kerala’s entertainment industry.
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