Kerala actor assault case: Supreme Court rejects main accused Sunil’s plea for suspension of sentence

File photo of NS Sunil aka ‘Pulsar’ Suni who was convicted in actor rape case | Photo credit: RK Nithin

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday (July 14, 2026) rejected the plea seeking suspension of the sentence of NS Sunil alias ‘Pulsar’ Suni, the first accused in the 2017 actor assault case.

A bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan and KV Jayakumar held that the finding of the Ernakulam Sessions Court was reasonable and that there were no grounds for suspending the petitioner’s sentence. In the case of 11 criminal offences, the court dealt with the nature of the act, the way it was committed, the seriousness of the crime, the sentence imposed by the court of appeal and the criminal history of the accused. It also considered his alleged involvement in another criminal case while he was out on bail in that case and breach of bail conditions imposed by the court when deciding on a suspended sentence.

Mr Sunil argued that he had served eight years in prison and that the appeals court had failed to consider fundamental inconsistencies in the prosecution’s evidence. He also argued that it would take several years for the court to deal with the appeals of the other accused and the state in the matter and that Mr Sunil should be released on bail after the sentence is suspended.

While dismissing his motion, the High Court noted that the gravity of the crimes committed by the accused “went beyond the individual victims and affected the dignity, bodily autonomy and sense of security of women”.

Six of the accused were convicted by the Sessions Court and each received 20 years’ imprisonment for two counts of gang rape, 10 years’ imprisonment for assaulting a woman and using criminal force with intent to strip her, and one year’s simple imprisonment for false imprisonment. The Sessions Court also found them guilty of charges of destroying evidence and making and distributing obscene images.

The state’s request is under consideration

A request by the state to increase the sentences of the convicts and to acquit the four accused, including actor Dileep, is pending in the Supreme Court. The High Court is also considering an application by the survivor to re-investigate the alleged leak of a memory card containing footage of the crime.

Published – 14 Jul 2026 13:47 IST