Kerala High Court Issues Notice to Dileep, Others in Kerala Govt's Appeal in Actress Assault Case

Kochi: The Kerala High Court has accepted the appeal filed by the Government of Kerala in the actress kidnapping and assault case and issued notices to Dileep and other accused. The appeal challenges the verdict of the trial court that acquitted Dileep and some others in the case.

The state government approached the High Court against the judgment of the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court, which had acquitted certain accused including Dileep while convicting others. The government has also sought increase of the sentences imposed on those who were convicted in the case, including the first accused Pulsar Suni.

According to the prosecution, the acquittal of Dileep and others was illegal and sends a wrong message to society. The prosecution argued before the High Court that the trial court’s decision violated principles of criminal procedure and natural justice, and that key digital evidence had been rejected on trivial grounds.

In its earlier verdict, the Sessions Court had sentenced six accused—N. S. Sunilkumar (Pulsar Suni), Martin Antony, B. Manikandan, V. P. Vijeesh, H. Salim (Vadiwal Salim), and Pradeep—to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment in the actress assault case. However, the court acquitted actor Dileep and another accused Sarath, stating that the prosecution failed to prove the alleged conspiracy.

With the High Court admitting the government’s appeal and issuing notices to the accused, the case is set to undergo further judicial scrutiny in the appellate stage.