Dileep acquitted in 2017 actor assault case, Pulsar Suni convicted

In a deeply troubling turn of events, a Kerala sessions court has convicted prime accused Pulsar Suni but acquitted Malayalam actor Dileep in the horrific 2017 sexual assault case of a woman actor. 

The Additional Special Sessions Court (SPE/CBI – III), Ernakulam, convicted Sunil Kumar, alias Pulsar Suni, on December 8. 

Special Judge Honey M Varghese found Suni guilty of rape. However, Dileep, the eighth accused, who was charged with criminal conspiracy and the orchestration of what we know to be the first case of ‘quotation rape’ (hiring someone to rape a woman), has been acquitted.

During the course of the trial, Dileep was accused of tampering with evidence, shaming the survivor, influencing witnesses, and possessing visuals of the sexual assault.

From 2017 to 2025: A timeline of events

The case, among the most closely followed in Kerala’s recent history, concerns the abduction and sexual assault of a prominent woman actor in a moving car in Kochi on February 17, 2017. 

Suni was arrested within days of the assault. Over the next few months, the investigation examined whether the assault was part of a larger conspiracy, ultimately leading to Dileep’s arrest on July 10, 2017. He was listed as the eighth accused in the chargesheet.

The prosecution’s theory of motive rests on a deeply personal fallout that, it argues, gradually turned into retaliation.

With Dileep’s acquittal, the person accused of actually plotting the conspiracy has not been held to account.

Trial proceedings began on January 30, 2020, and unfolded over nearly five years. The case was presided over by Special Judge Honey M Varghese, appointed in 2019 after the survivor sought a woman judge. But as the trial progressed, repeated requests by the survivor and the state government to replace Honey Varghese, citing alleged bias, were rejected at various judicial levels, including by the Supreme Court.

The proceedings were marked by several delays and intense legal battles, including hostile witnesses, allegations of digital evidence tampering, and multiple petitions by the accused. 

The Kerala High Court and the Supreme Court routinely heard petitions related to bail, access to the assault visuals, and the transfer of the case. The prosecution team also changed several times, and separate investigations were launched into the unlawful access of crucial digital evidence, including visuals of the sexual assault. 

In 2024, the Kerala government even accused Dileep of attempting to obstruct and delay the trial.

All the accused have been out on bail for varying periods of time due to the extended duration of the trial. On September 18, 2024, the Supreme Court granted bail to the main accused, Suni, observing that the trial was unlikely to conclude within a reasonable timeframe. 

The final phase of the trial involved testimonies from more than 200 witnesses and detailed forensic analyses. Charges against the various accused included IPC sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 366 (kidnapping), 376D (gang rape), and offences under the Information Technology Act.

Even beyond the courtroom, the case reshaped conversations about systemic misogyny, power abuse, and problematic working conditions in the Malayalam film industry. It notably triggered the formation of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), whose activism led to the formation of the Hema Committee in 2019. 

The Committee examined workplace harassment and gender discrimination within the industry. Though it submitted its report the same year, the findings became public only in August 2024 following a Kerala High Court order. The heavily redacted report has since prompted a renewed #MeToo wave, with several women in the industry speaking out about their experiences.

This report was republished from The News Minute as part of The News Minute-Newslaundry alliance. Read about our partnership here.

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