The high-profile actor assault case in Kerala, in which prominent Malayalam actor Dileep is an accused, began with a shocking incident on the night of February 17, 2017. A leading actress was abducted and sexually assaulted inside her moving car near Kochi by a gang of men, with the prime accused, a history-sheeter named Pulsar Suni, allegedly filming the entire act on a mobile phone. The victim was later dropped off at a director’s residence, from where she filed a police complaint the same day. The police quickly arrested Suni and his accomplices, initially filing a chargesheet that focused on the act itself.
However, the investigation soon expanded to probe a larger conspiracy angle, as Suni had reportedly told the survivor he was acting on a “quotation” or contract. This line of inquiry eventually led to actor Dileep’s interrogation and subsequent arrest on July 10, 2017.
The prosecution’s theory was that Dileep had allegedly orchestrated and paid for the crime, seeing it as an act of revenge against the actress. The alleged motive was that the survivor had informed Dileep’s then-wife, actress Manju Warrier, about his affair with another actress, Kavya Madhavan, whom Dileep later married. The conspiracy was allegedly hatched years earlier, and Dileep was named the eighth accused, charged with criminal conspiracy, abduction, and gang rape, among other offences.
Dileep’s arrest sent shockwaves through the Malayalam film industry, leading to his expulsion from the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) amid widespread public outrage. He spent 85 days in judicial custody before being granted conditional bail in October 2017. The subsequent trial, which commenced in 2020 and was held in-camera, was marked by multiple twists, including several witnesses, including film personalities, turning hostile, and the resignation of two special public prosecutors.
Further complications arose in 2021 when a film director, Balachandrakumar, came forward with revelations that prompted a further investigation, including allegations that Dileep had access to the assault footage and conspired to harm investigating officers. A serious concern also emerged regarding the illegal accessing of the memory card containing the assault visuals while it was in court custody.
Throughout the long and tumultuous legal process, the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) was formed to support the survivor and advocate for gender equality in the industry, making the case a watershed moment for socio-political discourse in Kerala. The prolonged trial, spanning years with numerous appeals and petitions, culminated in the verdict being awaited in December 2025.
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