Kochi: In the high-profile actress assault case, the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court acquitted the eighth accused and actor, Dileep. However, the court found six accused, including the first accused Pulsar Suni, guilty of grave charges like gang rape, kidnapping, and conspiracy.
The court stated that while the charges against the six individuals directly involved in the assault were proven, the prosecution failed to establish the criminal conspiracy charge against Dileep, whom they had accused of being the key mastermind. Charlie, who helped the accused abscond, and the tenth accused, Sarath, were also acquitted.
Principal Sessions Judge Honey M. Varghese pronounced the verdict after a six-year long trial. The prosecution had argued that Dileep gave the quotation for the rape due to personal enmity towards the actress. Dileep, however, maintained that he was framed and that the evidence presented was fabricated.
A significant point during the trial was that 28 witnesses turned hostile. The actress was brutally assaulted inside a moving vehicle in Kochi in February 2017. Dileep was arrested on July 10, 2017, and was granted bail in October after 85 days in custody. The trial involved the examination of 261 witnesses and the consideration of 1700 documents. Three individuals—police officer Aneesh, Vipin Lal, and Vishnu—were turned into approvers (state witnesses) in the case. ( Malayalam News Kerala)
For more details: Navamalayalam.com