Malayalam actor assault case: Dileep walks free, targets ex-wife Manju Warrier
KOCHI: The Ernakulam District and Principal Sessions Court on Monday acquitted actor Dileep (P Gopalakrishnan), 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 sensational case shook the Malayalam film industry and triggered widespread conversations on misogyny, power and accountability in cinema. Judge Honey M Varghese held that the evidence presented by the prosecution did not conclusively link Dileep to the alleged conspiracy to abduct and assault the survivor. The prosecutions case had hinged on the claim that Dileep had masterminded and financed the crime as an act of personal vengeance, allegedly because the survivor had informed his then-wife, actor Manju Warrier, about his relationship with actor Kavya Madhavan, now his spouse. Dileep was arrested on July 10, 2017, and later granted bail. While the conspiracy charge against Dileep collapsed, the court found six accusedN.S. Sunil alias Pulsar Suni, Martin Antony, Manikandan B., Vineesh V.P., Salim H., and Pradeepguilty of abducting and sexually assaulting the survivor inside a moving vehicle on the night of February 17, 2017. These accused, the judge ruled, had direct involvement in the crime. The court will pronounce the quantum of sentence on December 12. 2017 Kerala actor abduction case: Vagaries and vicissitudes of justice Pulsar Suni, identified as the prime accused, was held guilty of carrying out the assault and recording the visuals used to extort the survivor. The prosecution had argued that the chain of events leading to the attack could not have unfolded without Dileeps instructions, but the court found gaps and inconsistencies in the evidence presented. Speaking to the media after his acquittal, Dileep said there had been a criminal conspiracy to frame him in the case, alleging that a few police officials used the first accused and the media to spread a false narrative against him. He thanked his family members and fans for standing by him throughout the ordeal and expressed gratitude to his lawyer, Advocate B Raman Pillai, and his legal team. The real conspiracy was to make me an accused in the case and destroy my career, Dileep said. Dileep targets former wife Manju Warrier Moments after his acquittal in the actor abduction case, Dileep launched a sharp attack on his former wife, actor Manju Warrier , alleging that the eal conspiracy against him began after she hinted at foul play in the case. The conspiracy against me began after Manju claimed there was a conspiracy behind the case, Dileep said, directly linking her public statements to what he described as a coordinated attempt to frame him. He alleged that a senior official and certain criminal police officers then moved to push the investigation in a particular direction. According to him, the police fabricated a false story in collusion with the co-accused inside the jail and amplified it through mainstream and social media with the help of certain news channels and journalists. But today, that false story has collapsed before the court, he said. The real conspiracy was to implicate me to destroy my career, my reputation, and my life. Manju Warrier's speech & testimony The incident was initially portrayed as an unexpected act of violence with no apparent motive. However, the narrative shifted just two days later, on February 19, 2017, when Manju Warrier addressed a solidarity gathering at Durbar Hall Ground in Ernakulam. Her speech raisedfor the first time in publicthe possibility that the attack may have been the result of a planned criminal conspiracy. Later, on June 21, 2017, Manju Warrier gave a statement to the police, saying that the survivor had confided in her about the relationship between Dileep and Kavya Madhavana relationship the survivor believed had caused resentment in Dileep. Dileep thanks advocate Raman Pillai Soon after the verdict was delivered, the first person Dileep thanked was his advocate, B Raman Pillai. Dileep walked up to him, expressed his gratitude, and touched the senior lawyers feet. Advocate Pillai later stated that Dileep had been hounded throughout the case, indirectly alleging that a senior woman police officerbelieved to be IG B Sandhyawas behind a conspiracy against the actor. He added that the judgment reaffirmed the values of truth and justice. There was not a shred of evidence against Dileep. You cannot win a case by fabricating evidence. The initial statements given by the survivors mother, her friend Ramya Nambeesan, and her fianc made it clear that she had no enmity within or outside the film industry, he said. Advocate Raman Pillai has been associated with several controversial cases, including the rape case linked to Bishop Franco Mulakkal. A trial court had found the bishop not guilty in the case. The survivors counsel, advocate T B Mini, declined to make any immediate comments, stating that she would speak after studying the judgment in detail. Special Public Prosecutor V Ajayakumar said, We need to examine the judgment to understand why the court did not consider the evidence presented against Dileep. 'Not the end of the road' Responding to the sessions court verdict in the actress assault case, acquitting actor Dileep of conspiracy charges, former DGP B Sandhya said that this is not the final verdict in the case. Conspiracy is always a challenge to prove in court, and this is not the final verdict. We have higher courts too, and let us see how things unfold, she said while addressing the media here. Sandhya led the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that investigated the case. Fans distribute laddoos Meanwhile, outside the court, members of his fans association marked the verdict by distributing laddoos. The case, long considered one of the most closely watched trials in Kerala, has seen multiple twists, including allegations of evidence tampering, witness hostility, and institutional pressure. With Mondays verdict, the focus now shifts to sentencing, even as the survivors statement and the courts detailed reasoning are expected to shape the next phase of the legal battle. (With inputs from TNIE Online Desk) Dileep also mentioned his ex-wife and actor, Manju Warrier's speech, made at the Durbar Hall in Kochi, saying it led to the case being 'framed against him'. @MSKiranPrakash @PaulCithara @pendown #Dileep #ActorAssaultCase #Kerala pic.twitter.com/h0yInWE7ix TNIE Kerala (@xpresskerala) December 8, 2025
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