Overview
- The Principal District and Sessions Court in Ernakulam scheduled the verdict for December 8 under Principal Sessions Judge Honey M Varghese.
- The case stems from the February 17, 2017 kidnapping and sexual assault of a woman actor in a moving car near Kochi, allegedly by a gang led by Sunil Kumar, known as Pulsar Suni.
- Dileep, named as the eighth accused, is alleged to have conspired to orchestrate the attack and faces charges including criminal conspiracy and kidnapping, which he denies.
- The trial since 2018 examined about 1,700 documents and testimony from 261 witnesses, many later turning hostile, with all hearings conducted in-camera.
- Higher courts pushed for speedy completion, with the Supreme Court ordering expeditious proceedings and granting extensions, while petitions over the presiding judge and a new FIR after director Balachandra Kumar’s statements contributed to delays.