The Ernakulam District and Principal Sessions Court has acquitted Malayalam actor Dileep in the 2017 sexual assault case involving a prominent actress, citing that the prosecution &ldquo;miserably&rdquo; failed to prove the conspiracy charge against him. The court also highlighted inconsistencies and lack of sufficient evidence in the prosecution&rsquo;s case.
The court examined allegations that Dileep had allegedly hired the prime accused, Pulsar Suni, to sexually assault the actress and record visuals, including close-up footage of a gold ring she was wearing, to establish her identity. However, the court noted that this claim was not part of the initial charge sheet and was introduced only in the subsequent one.
Multiple statements of the victim, recorded shortly after the incident, did not mention Dileep&rsquo;s involvement or the filming of the gold ring. The court also scrutinized the statements of two approvers, which were found to be inconsistent and at times contradictory to the timeline of events.
The court observed that the visuals of the assault already revealed the victim&rsquo;s identity, making any recording of the ring unnecessary. Claims that the assault had been planned under Dileep&rsquo;s instructions since 2013 or that an incident occurred in Goa in January 2017 were also dismissed due to lack of credible evidence.
The trial, which spanned several years, saw the acquittal of Dileep along with three others. Meanwhile, six accused, including Pulsar Suni, were sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for their roles in the assault.
The attack on February 17, 2017, had shocked Kerala, as the accused allegedly forced their way into the actress&rsquo;s car, held her captive for two hours, and carried out the assault, which was recorded on video by the perpetrators.
The verdict underscores the court&rsquo;s findings that the prosecution was unable to substantiate claims against Dileep and that the allegations of conspiracy lacked credible evidence.

Dileep leaving court after acquittal verdict announcement

Court finds prosecution failed to prove conspiracy, acquits actor Dileep in assault case

Dileep Acquitted in 2017 Assault Case

Court finds prosecution failed to prove conspiracy, acquits actor Dileep in assault case

December 13, 2025 | 18:23 IST