Actor Dileep has been acquitted in the Kochi actress assault case. The court found six people, including the main accused, Pulsar Suni, guilty. Dileep was accused of plotting the attack, while the others were directly involved in the kidnapping and gang rape.
Malayalam star Dileep acquitted in Kerala actress assault case
Malayalam actor Dileep, the eighth accused in the Kerala actress assault case, has been acquitted. The court found six other accused, including Pulsar Suni, the first accused in the case, guilty. The Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court issued this verdict, acquitting Dileep. The six accused, including Pulsar Suni, who was directly involved in the crime, were primarily charged with gang rape, kidnapping, and conspiracy, all of which were proven.
The prosecution had also charged the eighth accused, Dileep, with rape. Although he was not directly involved in the crime, he was named as the main conspirator. Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court Judge Honey M. Varghese delivered the verdict in the case after completing a six-year trial.
What was actor Dileep accused of?
A total of ten people, including six directly involved, were tried. Dileep was accused of quoting the rape due to personal enmity with the victim actress. However, Dileep argued that he was framed in the case and that the prosecution had presented false evidence to the court.
What is the 2017 Kochi actress assault case? Everything you need to know
Malayalam actor Dileep, who is now acquitted of the 2017 Kochi actress assault case, used to be one of the most high-profile cases in the country. For the uninitiated, the trial saw 28 witnesses who turned hostile. The actress was brutally attacked in a moving vehicle in Kochi in February 2017. Dileep and Pulsar Suni, who had previously been put behind bars in connection with the case, and the other accused, were out on bail.
Actor Dileep was arrested on July 10, 2017, and was granted bail in October 2017 after 85 days. Pulsar Suni, the first accused, was arrested in February 2017 and was later released in September 2024 after being granted bail by the Supreme Court.
The trial began in 2019. 261 witnesses were examined, and the court considered 1,700 documents. Three accused were made approvers in the case: police officers Aneesh, Vipin Lal, and Vishnu. Two other accused, lawyer Raju Joseph and lawyer Pratheesh Chacko, were acquitted by the district court.
