Kerala actor assault case: Survivor moves police over identity leak, online abuse

A week after the verdict in the 2017 Kerala actor assault case, the survivor has lodged a complaint with the Kerala Police alleging cyber harassment and the circulation of a video linked to one of the convicts. Police sources said a case is likely to be registered soon based on her complaint.

According to reports, the survivor has alleged that Martin Antony, the second accused in the case who was driving her car on the night of the assault, had recorded a video that revealed her identity. The video was allegedly shot earlier when Martin was granted bail by the Supreme Court. The video has since resurfaced, with several social media accounts circulating it and targeting the survivor through coordinated cyber attacks.

On December 8, the District and Principal Sessions Court in Kochi pronounced its verdict in the case, convicting six accused — Pulsar Suni, Martin Antony, B Manikandan, Vijeesh VP, Salim H alias Vadival Salim, and Pradeep — for abducting and sexually assaulting the actor in February 2017. All six were sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment, the minimum punishment prescribed for gang rape.

The court, however, acquitted Malayalam actor Dileep, the eighth accused, who was alleged to have conspired in the crime, citing lack of evidence. The acquittal led to a sharp divide in public opinion, with widespread protests across Kerala in support of the survivor and calls to boycott Dileep’s films.

On December 14, the survivor issued a statement expressing her disappointment with the verdict, saying she had lost faith in the trial court. “Not every citizen in this country is treated equally before the law,” she wrote.

Actor Manju Warrier, Dileep’s former wife, issued a statement saying that justice remained incomplete as “the mind that enabled this act still walks free.”

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