Actress Assault Case Verdict Out: Dileep Acquitted; Pulsar Suni Among 6 Found Guilty

Dileep Acquitted In Actress Assault Case: Kerala witnessed a landmark verdict today, December 8, in the high-profile actress assault case at the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court. Actor Dileep, who was named as the eighth accused, was acquitted, while six others, including Pulsar Suni, were found guilty of multiple charges- gang rape, abduction, and conspiracy, according to Asianet News.

The court's decision marks the conclusion of a trial that has spanned six years, involving ten defendants in total. While the prosecution had alleged that Dileep orchestrated the assault due to personal animosity toward the actress, the court found insufficient evidence to prove his involvement in any criminal conspiracy. He was also not present during the assault, which contributed to his acquittal.

Alongside Dileep, Charlie and Sarath Acquitted in Actress Assault Case

Alongside Dileep, Charlie accused of assisting the perpetrators to evade capture, Sanilkumar and the tenth accused, Sarath, were also cleared of all charges. Judge Honey M. Varghese delivered the verdict after examining years of evidence and testimony.

The assault itself occurred in February 2017, inside a moving vehicle in Kochi. Following the incident, several of the accused, including Dileep and Pulsar Suni, were taken into custody and later released on bail. Dileep was arrested on July 10, 2017, and granted bail after 85 days in October. Pulsar Suni, who was first apprehended in February 2017, obtained bail from the Supreme Court in September 2024.

The accused in the actress assault case include Sunil N.S. alias Pulsar Suni, Martin Antony, Manikandan B., Vijeesh V.P., Salim H. alias Vadival Salim, Pradeep, Charly Thomas, P. Gopalakrishnan alias Dileep, Sanilkumar alias Mesthiri Sanil, and Sarath, while Vishnu, Vipin Lal, and police constable Aneesh turned approvers, and two lawyers, Raju Joseph and Pratheesh Chacko, were acquitted.

The trial formally began in 2018, during which 261 witnesses were examined and approximately 1,700 documents were considered by the court. Throughout the proceedings, 28 witnesses initially turned hostile, complicating the investigation. The court is scheduled to pronounce the sentence on the 12th of this month.