The Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court has cleared well-known Malayalam actor Dileep of charges in the 2017 actress assault case. Dileep had been accused of plotting and employing a group to carry out the offense.
Dileep was the eighth individual charged in the 2017 Actress Assault Case, accused by the Kerala Crime Branch of breaching bail conditions. The first six accused were convicted of most charges, including rape and kidnapping.
The incident involves an actress from Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu cinema who was reportedly kidnapped and assaulted in her car by a group of men who forcibly entered the vehicle on the night of February 17, 2017.
Who were the individuals charged?
Sunil NS, commonly referred to as Pulsar Suni, is accused of masterminding the kidnapping and attack, making him the primary suspect. Alongside him and Dileep, the individuals on trial include Martin Antony, Manikandan B, Vijeesh VP, Salim H, also known as Vadival Salim, Pradeep, Charly Thomas, Sanilkumar, also known as Mesthiri Sanil, and G Sarath.
The allegations against the defendant cover numerous sections of the IPC, such as criminal conspiracy (120A, 120B), abetment (109), wrongful confinement (342, 357), kidnapping (366), outraging modesty (354), attempt to disrobe (354B), gang rape (376D), criminal intimidation (506(i)), destruction of evidence (201), harboring an offender (212), and common intention (34).
What is the situation?
The trial, initiated on March 8, 2018, has been both prolonged and intricate. A total of 261 witnesses were questioned, many in private sessions, including several notable figures from the film industry, with 28 witnesses becoming uncooperative. Over time, two special prosecutors resigned, and the survivor's plea to change the presiding judge was rejected. The prosecution presented 833 documents and 142 pieces of evidence, while the defense provided 221 documents. The process of examining witnesses alone took 438 days.