Kochi,8 December(HS): Malayalam superstar Dileep, who is accused by the prosecution of being the key conspirator behind the sensational 2017 actress abduction and sexual assault case, will be under intense public and legal scrutiny today as the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court is set to pronounce its verdict. The prosecution has alleged that the actor masterminded the crime to settle personal scores with the survivor and used hired accomplices to execute the plot, including the recording of the assault on video. The court will take up the case at 11 a.m., and after completing procedural formalities, the verdict is expected to be delivered later in the day.
The trial, which has stretched over nearly eight years, witnessed repeated delays due to the COVID-19 lockdown, a series of petitions and appeals filed before higher courts by the accused, the prosecution and the survivor, and the temporary suspension of proceedings following filmmaker Balachandrakumar’s revelations that prompted a further investigation.
In one of the lengthiest criminal trials in Kerala’s history, the prosecution examined 261 witnesses over a period of 438 days. These included prominent actors, film industry professionals, close friends and relatives of the accused. As many as 28 witnesses later turned hostile. A further 294 days were spent on supplementary arguments and procedural steps aimed at clarifying key testimonies. The prosecution also produced 833 documents, including crucial forensic and digital evidence, all of which were minutely examined by the court.
The accused face charges including rape, criminal conspiracy, outraging the modesty of a woman, wrongful confinement, criminal force, destruction of evidence, and the recording and circulation of obscene visuals.
The case relates to the incident on February 17, 2017, when the survivor was allegedly abducted while travelling in a car in Kochi and sexually assaulted. The assault was reportedly filmed to be used for blackmail. The prosecution maintains that the crime was premeditated and executed as part of a larger conspiracy.
The ten accused in the case are N.S. Sunil alias Pulsar Suni, Martin Antony, B. Manikandan, V.P. Vijesh, H. Salim alias Vadival Salim, Pradeep, Charlie Thomas, P. Gopalakrishnan (Dileep), Sanil Kumar alias Mesthiri Sanil, and G. Sharath.
As per court directions, all the accused have been ordered to be present in court at the time of the verdict. Tight security arrangements have been put in place in and around the court premises in view of the sensitive nature of the case and the massive public attention it continues to attract.
The verdict is expected to be a defining moment in Kerala’s legal and social history, bringing closure to one of the most high-profile criminal trials involving the Malayalam film industry.
Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman
