Overview
- Ernakulam Principal Sessions Judge Honey M. Varghese delivered the verdict after an almost eight-year trial into the abduction and assault of a prominent actress in 2017.
- Pulsar Suni and five others were found guilty of gang rape, abduction, conspiracy and related offences, while Dileep and three co-accused were cleared of all charges.
- The Kerala government said it will appeal Dileep’s acquittal, signaling further litigation even as the six convicted await sentencing on December 12.
- The protracted proceedings examined 261 witnesses and 834 documents, saw multiple prosecutors resign, extensive cross-examination, and numerous petitions that slowed the case.
- Contested digital evidence, including allegations of illegal access to a memory card kept in court custody, prompted a High Court fact-finding inquiry and new guidelines on handling sexually explicit material.