In a closely watched verdict that Kerala has been waiting for over the past several weeks, the trial court on December 12 pronounced its judgment in the case involving the rape of a popular Malayalam film actress on February 17, 2017. While the prime accused Pulsar Suni and five others were awarded 20 years of rigorous imprisonment, popular Malayalam cine actor P. Gopalakrishnan alias Dileep was acquitted, with the court holding that the prosecution failed to prove the allegation of conspiracy against him.
The court convicted N.S. Sunil (Pulsar Suni) along with Martin Antony, B. Manikantan, V.P. Vijeesh, H. Salim and Pradeep, sentencing them to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment each and imposing a fine of Rs 50,000 per accused. The total compensation payable to the victim amounts to Rs 5 lakh.
The court observed in its verdict that the helplessness of the victim was evident, and underlined that the prestige and dignity of a woman are of paramount importance. It held that Pulsar Suni was the person who raped the victim, while the remaining five were found to be accomplices.
The first accused, Pulsar Suni, was also awarded an additional five-year imprisonment under the IT Act for videographing the rape scenes. The court ruled that failure to pay the imposed fine would result in an additional one year of imprisonment.
During arguments, the prosecution sought maximum punishment, including life imprisonment. The court, however, raised questions on whether all accused could be given the same punishment and whether they should be given a chance to reform. The verdict was pronounced after considering the social background of the accused. During the proceedings, the accused reportedly broke down in tears, placing their family situations before the court.
Dileep and Others Acquitted
The court acquitted Dileep, along with Charlie Thomas, Sanilkumar and G. Sarath, stating that the prosecution failed to establish the conspiracy charge against them. The Kerala government has stated that it will file an appeal against the verdict.
Reacting to the judgment, BJP Kerala President Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, “…The Court has spoken, and we are living in a democracy where the courts have a very significant role in adjudicating such crimes and deciding who is guilty and who is not. I understand that the court has decided he is not guilty, and that is the law of the land, and that is what prevails. There is a victim in the case, and my sympathies are with her. Our party is always pro women’s rights, and we constantly speak out against the exploitation of women…”
#WATCH | Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: On actor Dileep being acquitted in 2017 in the actress assault case, State BJP President Rajeev Chandrasekhar says, "… The Court has spoken, and we are living in a democracy where the Courts have a very significant role in adjudicating these… pic.twitter.com/lIzUH1Rvrx
— ANI (@ANI) December 8, 2025
Background of the Crime
The case relates to the incident of February 17, 2017, when a popular Malayalam film actress was abducted and sexually assaulted inside a moving vehicle near Kochi, with the crime allegedly recorded on camera. The prosecution claimed that actor Dileep was the key conspirator, accusing him of orchestrating the assault in collusion with the other accused, and he faced trial as the eighth accused.
