Kerala actress sexual assault case: All 6 accused sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment

The Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court on Friday sentenced Sunil NS, alias Pulsar Suni, the main accused in the 2017 actress sexual assault case, and five others who were convicted for the crime along with him, to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment.

Ernakulam District and Sessions Court judge Honey M Varghese pronounced the sentence. The convicted men, who have now been sentenced to rigorous imprisonment by the Court, are Sunil NS alias Pulsar Suni,37, a history-sheeter who allegedly had close links to the film industry; Martin Antony, 33, a driver with a studio in Kochi; B Manikandan, 37, also a driver; Vijeesh V P, 38, an electrician; and Salim H, 30, and Pradeep, 31, who are members of a bus crew.

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The Court on December 8 found the first six accused, Sunil NS alias Pulsar Suni, Martin Antony, Manikandan B, Vijesh VP, Salim H, and Pradeep, guilty in the case. Actor Dileep (P Gopalakrishnan), who was the eighth accused and alleged conspirator in the case, was acquitted of the offences charged against him by the court, holding that the prosecution could not prove the conspiracy charges leveled against him.

Apart from Dileep, the court also acquitted Charlie Thomas, Sanil Kumar, alias Mestri Sanil, and Sarath Nair. Charlie had been accused of providing a hideout for other accused after the incident. Sanil had faced charges of conspiring with Pulsur Suni in jail to extract money by threatening Dileep. Sarath faced charges for handing over and destroying the visuals of the sexual assault.

The detailed verdict, which is expected to be made public soon, will give details of the grounds on which Dileep was acquitted. The court had found the convicted persons guilty under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the IT Act, including criminal conspiracy, wrongful confinement, gang rape, kidnapping or abducting a woman, abetment, and using criminal force on a woman with intent to outrage her modesty.

The Court heard the six convicts on the question of sentence on Friday before ordering that they serve 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for the crime of committing gang rape. Special Public Prosecutor V Ajakumar urged the Court to award maximum punishment to all six convicts in the case. Counsel for Pulsar Suni argued that he did not deserve the maximum sentence, claiming the incident “was not an extreme form of rape.”

The prosecution countered this argument by citing Supreme Court guidelines issued after the Nirbhaya case. The actress was sexually assaulted on the evening of February 17, 2017, while she was returning to Kochi from Thrissur after a film shoot. The actress came to Kochi in an SUV arranged by a production company called KL Creations. Martin, who drove the vehicle, is the second accused in the case. Trial proceedings began on January 30, 2020, and unfolded over nearly five years. The case was heard 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