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Malayalam Actor Dileep Acquitted In Assault Case; Reactions Pour In From Film Industry
Actor Dileep, who was the eighth accused in the assault case, was acquitted by Honey M.Varghese, the Ernakulam Principal Session Judge.
Malayalam actor and star Dileep has been acquitted in the sensational actor rape case by the sessions court in Kerala on December 8, 2025. Dileep, who was the eighth accused in the assault case, was acquitted by Honey M.Varghese, the Ernakulam Principal Session Judge. Numbers one through six in the list of accused, including “Pulsar” Suni, have been found guilty in the case.
A report in The Hindu details the list of six accused as follows: N.S. Sunil, alias ‘Pulsur Suni’, the second accused, Martin Antony, third accused B. Manikandan, fourth accused V. P. Vijeesh, fifth accused H. Salim alias Vadiwal Salim, and the sixth accused being Pradeep. The case attracted nationwide attention right from 2017 when a popular actress was allegedly abducted and assaulted inside a moving car in Ernakulam district. Actor Dileep’s name was later added as an accused in the criminal case.
Speaking to the media after being acquitted in court, Dileep said the real criminal conspiracy was created to trap him. Targeting his ex-wife and co-actor Manju Warrier, Dileep began by saying, “Truth has won. This case against me began with Manju (Warrier) saying that there was a criminal conspiracy behind the assault. But the real criminal conspiracy was the one that unfolded against me. A senior police officer, along with a team of 'criminal' officers, cooked up this case against me. The same officers used the prime accused and his other jail inmates to concoct a fake story against me. Then they started to take the help of certain corrupt media to spread these fake stories about me. This was done to destroy my career and my image in public.”
He went on to thank everyone who supported him through the trial, and he also thanked his lawyers, including Raman Pillai and Supreme Court lawyer Mukul Rohatgi, for their support. Since the verdict was out, the star’s fans were seen celebrating the news and were also seen distributing sweets near the actor’s house. In response to the verdict, the Kerala State government said it will file an appeal, with Minister P Rajeev, the state’s law minister, stating on Facebook that he will approach the high court with an appeal against the trial court verdict.
A.M.M.A., or the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), was among the first to issue a statement following actor Dileep’s acquittal by the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court. On Facebook, the association, now headed by President Shwetha Menon, posted that the law must follow the path of justice and added that the organisation respects the court and its verdict.
In 2017, when the news of Dileep’s involvement came out, he was expelled from AMMA after an emergency executive meeting was held in Mammootty’s house. Later, when Mohanlal became the A.M.M.A president, the organisation reinstated Dileep, which further generated controversy and public criticism.
The WCC or Women In Cinema Collective, which was formed during the aftermath of this assault case, issued their support and solidarity with the survivor. One of its members, Parvathy Thiruvothu, took to social media to speak up about the verdict. On Instagram, she wrote, “Justice what? We watch a carefully crafted screenplay unfold so cruelly now.”
Another member, Rima Kalingal took expressed her support for the survivor and posted the tagline 'Avalkoppam' (We stand with her), a motto that was first released by the WCC after the assault that took place in February 2017. “Always. More stronger than ever now,” Rima took to her Instagram to post. In a note ahead of the verdict, WCC wrote, “This has not been an easy journey. The journey of being a victim to becoming a survivor. 3215 days of waiting for justice."
The note added, “Her fight has unleashed many tumultuous journeys for women in cinema, the Malayalam film industry and the state of Kerala. The impact has rippled through our collective conscience, and voices have risen for change."
In the wide media coverage that followed, including drone cameras, there was footage from actor Dileep’s house, where one witnessed signs of a celebration at his home. The charges in this case included gang rape, conspiracy, outraging the modesty of a woman, wrongful confinement, use of criminal force, destruction of evidence, taking and distributing obscene images under Indian Penal Code Sections 120 A, 120 B, 109, 376, 342, 204, and 201.