The 2017 Kerala actress assault case has returned to court. The Kerala High Court has admitted the state government’s appeal challenging the acquittal of actor Dileep and three others by the trial court. A Division Bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V. and Justice K.V. Jayakumar took up the matter on Monday.
Who are the accused named in the appeal?
The state has specifically challenged the acquittals of Dileep, listed as the eighth accused in the case. The appeal also covers accused number 7, Charly Thomas; accused number 9, Sanilkumar alias Mesthiri Sanil; and accused number 15, Sarath G. Nair. The prosecution alleges that all four were part of the criminal conspiracy behind the abduction and assault of the survivor.
Also Read: ‘Justice what?’: Parvathy Thiruvothu reacts as actor Dileep acquitted in 2017 assault case
What the Sessions Court had decided
The Sessions Court delivered split verdict on December 8, 2025 nearly eight years after the incident. Judge Honey M. Varghese convicted first six accused including prime suspect Sunilkumar N.S. alias Pulsar Suni. All six were sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment.
Court acquitted Dileep and three others by stating that prosecution failed to establish alleged conspiracy or prove that the actor had masterminded or facilitated attack.
State’s grounds for appeal
The 400-page appeal argues that the trial court failed significantly in evaluating both factual evidence and the legal nuances of the case. Core of government’s challenge lies in assertion that trial court ignored substantial evidence linking Dileep to wider conspiracy.
Government maintains that there is clear proof of meetings between Dileep and Pulsar Suni at six different locations along with crucial letter sent by Suni regarding the “quotation” amount all of which the trial court allegedly failed to credit.
The prosecution also strongly opposes the trial court’s finding regarding the memory card containing the assault visuals. The appeal points out that descriptions of these visuals were found on the phone of Dileep’s brother, contradicting the court’s conclusion that the footage never reached the actor’s possession.
The appeal further alleged that the trial was not conducted fairly and that the lower court adopted a biased approach toward the evidence.
State also seeks harsher sentences
The government’s appeal is not limited to the acquittals. The state is also seeking enhanced sentencing for those already convicted, including prime accused Pulsar Suni. The government argued that the 20-year rigorous imprisonment awarded to the accused is the minimum possible punishment for a crime that so severely violated a woman’s dignity and privacy. It contended that a lenient sentence sends a dangerous message to society and pushed for the maximum penalty allowed by law.
Special prosecutor and next hearing
The court noted that senior advocate V. Ajakumar has been appointed as the Special Public Prosecutor to represent the state. He had earlier represented the prosecution at the trial court stage as well. The High Court directed that the trial court records be brought before it. The matter has been posted after two weeks for hearing the sentence suspension petitions filed by the convicts, including prime accused Pulsar Suni.
Convicted accused also in court
The High Court is simultaneously hearing appeals filed by the six convicted accused, who have challenged both their conviction and sentences. With both the state and the convicts now before the High Court, the appellate proceedings are set to revisit the evidence, investigation methods, legal arguments from the original trial.
Background of the case
In February 2017, a leading Malayalam actress was abducted while travelling from Thrissur to Kochi. She was sexually assaulted by a group of men inside a moving vehicle. The survivor was on her way to a film shoot location when the incident occurred. The case sent shockwaves through Kerala’s film industry. The survivor later moved the Kerala High Court seeking a fresh court-monitored investigation into the alleged unauthorised access of the memory card containing the visuals of the assault.