First Accused Sunilkumar aka ‘Pulsur’ Suni (File Image) | Photo credit: special arrangement
The Ernakulam Sessions Court in Kerala will deliver its verdict in the sensational actor-rape case in which actor Dileep is the accused on December 8, 2025.
Mr. Dileep was on trial for allegedly conspiring with the first accused, NS Sunil alias ‘Pulsur’ Suni, who allegedly raped a female actor and filmed the crime. The actor was imprisoned for almost 90 days in the case.
The accusation is that the accused raped the actor in a moving car on February 17, 2017. The first accused, charged in the indictment, recorded the alleged act on his cell phone after the conspiracy.
Ernakulam Chief Sessions Judge Honey M. Varghese will deliver the verdict that day, bringing to an end one of Kerala’s protracted and sensational criminal trials.
The trial in the case began in 2018. The proceedings have been interrupted several times in recent years. The prosecution had to be stopped several times when the actress twice approached the higher courts asking for the dismissal of the judicial officer who was hearing the case.
While the COVID-induced lockdown lasted nearly two years, the prosecution took one year to complete further investigation into the case after filmmaker Balachandrakumar allegedly revealed that he had witnessed Mr. Dileep and others watching footage of the alleged rape at his Aluva residence, extending the delay.
The case would go down in judicial history as one of the few criminal cases where the largest number of side motions moved to higher courts, including the Supreme Court.
Both the accused and the prosecution filed several appeals against various orders of the trial court and the high court, which also had a cumulative effect on the delays in the completion of the main trial.
The case also left a major impact on the Malayalam cinema industry and led to the formation of the Women Collective in Cinema, a forum that sought to protect the rights of women in cinema and the establishment of the Hema Committee report to address the issues faced by women in Malayalam cinema.
The court considered about 1,700 documents and 261 witnesses, including prominent film actors. The trial in the case was held behind the camera.
Other accused in the case are Martin Antony, B. Manikandan, Vice President Vijeesh, Salim, Pradeep, Charley Thomas and Sanil.
Published – 25 Nov 2025 15:26 IST
