Ernakulam court acquits actor Dileep of all charges in 2017 actress assault case

KOCHI: The Ernakulam District Sessions Court on Monday aquitted proiminent Malayalam actor Dileep in the 2017 rape and abduction case of an actress. The court had earlier reserved the judgement for December 12. Judge Honey M Varghese of the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court pronounced the verdict in the 2017 Kerala actress assault case in which Dileep is the eighth accused.

“There was a conspiracy to defame me in society, to defame my career, my image and destroy my life”, Dileep said outside the court. Dileep was found not guilty of the allegation that he orchestrated the assault of the assault. Dileep was accused of conspiring and hiring a gang to execute the crime.

#WATCH | Kochi, Kerala | Malayalam film actor Dileep, the eighth accused in the 2017 actress assault case, leaves for Ernakulam District Sessions Court pic.twitter.com/VfS0geEF48

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“Those who stood by me, my family and fans who stood by me and the lawyers who have stood by me over the past years I thank all of them,” Dileep told reporters outside court. He also thanked his college mates and “countless of people” who have stood by me and prayed for him. “First and foremost, I thank the Almighty. Truth has won”.

He alleged that there was a “criminal conspiracy” to frame him and spread a false media narrative against him. “There is a criminal conspiracy in this case. The conspiracy against me began the moment when Manju (Manju Warrier) stated that the criminal conspiracy behind the incident must be investigated. A senior officer at that time, along with a team of criminal-minded police personnel chosen by him, orchestrated this action against me. For this purpose, they supported the main accused in the case and the co-accused who were lodged in prison with him, and together this police team created a fabricated story,” the actor said.

“Then, with the help of certain media organisations and a few journalists who were ready to support them, this fabricated narrative was widely circulated through social media. Today, in court, this fake story created by that police team has collapsed. The real conspiracy in this case was to make me the accused, to destroy my career, my image, and my life in society,” added the actor.

The court has, however, found that accused from no. 1 to no. 6 guilty and will pronounce punishment for those found guilty on December 12.

The case pertains to an actress who worked in Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu films and was allegedly abducted and molested inside her car by a group of men who had forced their way into the vehicle on the night of February 17, 2017.

Sunil N S, widely known as Pulsar Suni, alleged to have orchestrated the abduction and assault, is the first accused. The others facing trial alongside him and Dileep are Martin Antony, Manikandan B, Vijeesh VP, Salim H alias Vadival Salim, Pradeep, Charly Thomas, Sanilkumar alias Mesthiri Sanil, and G Sarath.

The charges invoked against the accused span a wide range of IPC sections, including 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), harbouring an offender (212), and common intention (34).The trial, which began on March 8, 2018, has been lengthy and complex.

A total of 261 witnesses were examined, many in camera, including several prominent film personalities, with 28 witnesses turning hostile. Over the years, two special prosecutors stepped down, and the survivor’s request to replace the presiding judge was denied. The prosecution submitted 833 documents and 142 material objects, while the defence produced 221 documents. Witness examination alone spanned 438 days. (ANI)