The Kerala High Court on Tuesday sought responses from actor Dileep and nine others after the state government challenged a trial court verdict that acquitted the actor and three co-accused in the 2017 actress sexual assault case. The state has also asked the High Court to enhance the punishment awarded to six men who were convicted and sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for the crime.
A division bench of Justices A.K. Jayasankaran Nambiar and Jobin Sebastian admitted the state government’s appeal against the trial court judgment and issued notices to all ten accused who had faced trial in the case. This includes the six individuals who were convicted and the four who were acquitted.
The state government has contested the acquittal of actor Dileep, who was named as the eighth accused in the case, along with Charley Thomas (A7), Sanil Kumar alias Mesthri Sanil (A9), and Sarath (A15). According to the appeal, the acquittal of these four accused was “wholly illegal and unmerited” and sends a wrong message to society.
The appeal also challenges the sentence imposed on the six men who were convicted by the trial court — Sunil N.S., also known as Pulsar Suni; Martin Antony; Manikandan B.; Vijesh V.P.; Salim H.; and Pradeep. All six were sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for their role in the assault.
The state has argued that while the trial court correctly found these six accused guilty of multiple offences, it failed to impose an adequate sentence considering the seriousness of the crime. The appeal asks the High Court to enhance the term of imprisonment and the fines imposed on them, taking into account the gravity of the offence, the trauma suffered by the victim, and the fear the incident created in society.
According to the prosecution’s case, Dileep had allegedly conspired with the prime accused, Pulsar Suni, instructing him to sexually assault the actress and capture explicit visuals of the act. Investigators alleged that the crime was motivated by personal enmity and revenge against the victim.
The case initially involved 15 accused. During the course of the proceedings, three were granted pardon and examined as prosecution witnesses, while two others were discharged by the Kerala High Court. The remaining ten individuals ultimately stood trial.
The incident dates back to February 17, 2017, when a multi-lingual actress was allegedly abducted and assaulted by a group of men who forced their way into her moving car. The attackers reportedly held her captive for nearly two hours. According to the prosecution, the prime accused sexually assaulted the actress inside the vehicle while recording the act with the help of the others.
The shocking crime triggered widespread outrage across Kerala and drew national attention. Actor Dileep, accused of being the mastermind behind the conspiracy, was arrested during the investigation but was later acquitted after a trial that lasted nearly six years.
With the High Court now admitting the state’s appeal, the case will be re-examined in relation to both the acquittal of certain accused and the adequacy of the sentences imposed on those convicted.
