In a big turn to the high-profile Kerala actor sexual assault case, Malayalam actor Dileep was acquitted by a trial court in Kochi on Monday, eight years after being accused of criminal conspiracy and other crimes related to the alleged kidnapping and sexual assault of another actor in 2017.
Ernakulam Principal Sessions Judge Honey M. Varghese passed the verdict and acquitted all charges against Dileep. The accused numbers 1 to 6 were, however, found guilty by the court. Those who are found guilty will be sentenced on December 12.
The Verdict
Dileep, who was the eighth person listed in the case was accused of conspiracy, destruction of evidence and involvement in a greater criminal conspiracy. The court established that the prosecution could not prove beyond reasonable doubt that he was involved.
In the meantime, other six accused were found guilty. They include:
- N.S. Sunil alias ‘Pulsar Suni’
- Martin Antony
- B. Manikandan
- V.P. Vijeesh
- H. Salim alias Vadiwal Salim
- Pradeep
The remaining accused will also face sentencing proceedings.
Charges and Allegations
The charges against the accused included:
- gang rape
- criminal conspiracy
- wrongful confinement
- outraging the modesty of a woman
- taking and distributing obscene image
- destruction of evidence
The prosecution claimed that the actor was kidnapped, sexually assaulted in a moving car and filmed on the night of February 17, 2017 in a pre-planned conspiracy. Dileep was harassed on the basis of claims that he had ordered the recording and would pay to obtain the footage.
Courtroom Packed for Verdict
The verdict in the case attracted immense media coverage and publicity. The lawyers, journalists, and relatives of the accused were crowded in the courtroom. All suspects were instructed to appear when the verdict was pronounced.
According to the court, the judgment will be uploaded to the official portal with a detailed copy. How the evidence and witnesses were considered by the court are questions that legal experts observe the entire reasoning will answer.
Actors, Witnesses and Hostile Testimonies
Some of the renowned Malayalam actors appeared to testify in the case, with some of them subsequently became hostile. The prosecution declared actors such as Bindu Panicker, Edavela Babu and Bhama hostile as they had previously withdrawn their statements.
The case attracted enormous publicity since the victim and the accused were both film actors, making parts of the Malayalam film industry come into strong focus.
A Case That Influenced Kerala’s Public Debate
The case emerged to be one of the most popular criminal cases in Kerala to influence political, legal and feminist discourses in the state. The account of the survivor led to the campaigns of solidarity and the revival of attention to sexual violence in the Malayalam film industry.
According to legal experts, the trial had its share of twists, whereby there were evidence tampering allegations, pressure on witnesses and legal hurdles that made the trial process very lengthy.
Sentencing arguments of the six accused that were convicted will be heard by the court on December 12. The detailed judgment will be published, and prosecutors will be able to assess additional avenues of the law.
The lawyers of the survivor said that they would comment upon it after having read the judgment. The legal team for Dileep argued that the acquittal justifies his long-standing non-guilt claim.
Eight-Year Trial Ends, But Debate Likely to Continue
As Dileep is acquitted and the core accused guilty, legal experts do not believe that the case resulted in the wider debate sparked by the case on gender justice, power structures in the film industry and pressure on survivors of high-profile crimes.
The case is likely to persist in the public discourse because the sentencing will be later in the week, and parties are going to review the written judgment.
