KOCHI: The Kerala government on Monday announced that it will appeal against the verdict of the Ernakulam District and Principal Sessions Court that acquitted actor Dileep in the 2017 actor abduction and sexual assault case.
Law Minister P Rajeeve said the government “stands firmly with the survivor” and will take all necessary legal steps to ensure that justice is pursued “to its fullest extent.”
The court had found accused 1 to 6—including prime accused Sunil N S, alias Pulsar Suni—guilty, while acquitting accused 7 to 11. Dileep, the eighth accused, was among those cleared of all charges after the court held that the prosecution failed to prove the conspiracy allegation.
Rajeeve said every stage of the investigation and prosecution was carried out in close consultation with the survivor and the prosecution team.
“From the very beginning, we have remained committed to supporting the survivor and upholding her faith in the justice system. Our resolve is clear and unwavering,” he said.
The government will decide its next legal course after studying the full judgment, he added.
The Ernakulam District and Principal Sessions Court on Monday acquitted actor Dileep, the eighth accused in the 2017 abduction and sexual assault of a prominent Malayalam actor, ruling that the prosecution had failed to establish the conspiracy charge against him.
The verdict came eight years after the case shook the Malayalam film industry and triggered widespread conversations on misogyny, power and accountability in cinema.
Reacting to the verdict in a brief statement issued on its behalf, the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) said it “respects the court’s judgment.”
“Let the law move in the path of justice. We respect the court,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, #avalkoppam (with her) trended on social media as many came out expressing solidarity with the survivor. The term was first used by the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) in 2017 to express solidarity with the survivor.
(With additional inputs by TNIE Online Desk)