2017 actress assault case: Kerala HC refuses to suspend Pulsar Suni’s jail sentence

The Kerala High Court rejected a plea filed by Sunil NS alias Pulsar Suni, the prime accused in the 2017 actress assault case, seeking suspension of his 20-year rigorous imprisonment sentence

Suni had approached the High Court seeking to suspend his prison term while his appeal against the trial court’s decision to convict him in the actress assault case remained pending.

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A Division Bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V and Justice KV Jayakumar dismissed the plea the other day, stating that there were no circumstances warranting suspension of sentence. “Having regard to the role attributed to (Suni), the nature of the offence, the manner in which it was committed, the gravity and seriousness of the crime, the sentence imposed by the trial court, the criminal antecedents of the applicant in as many as 11 grave crimes, his alleged involvement in another criminal case while he was on bail in the present case, and his violation of the conditions of bail imposed by the Court, we are of the considered view that no exceptional circumstance has been made out warranting the suspension of the sentence. We have also taken into account the larger considerations of public interest, the societal impact of the offence, and the need to preserve public confidence in the administration of criminal justice,” the court held.

The court noted that the actions of the accused, including Suni, demonstrated an exceptional level of criminal depravity, involving deliberate and planned acts of sexual assault and blackmail. It said it must consider the prosecution’s argument that these verified allegations deeply shocked the public’s collective conscience.

“Its (the crime’s) gravity extends beyond the individual victim, as it strikes at the dignity, bodily autonomy, and sense of security of women. It would also undermine public confidence in the rule of law and the administration of criminal justice. In that view of the matter, the long incarceration cannot by itself constitute a ground for suspension of sentence,” the Court held.

In December 2025, the Principal District and Sessions Court, Ernakulam, sentenced six accused, including the prime accused Sunil N.S. Sunil alias Pulsar Suni, to 20 years of imprisonment. They were found guilty of the offences under Sections 376D, 120B, Sections 342, 354, 354B, 357 and 376D of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 66E and 67A of the Information Technology (Amendment) Act.