Dileep Acquitted, Six Convicted in 2017 Actress Assault Case

A Kerala court acquitted prominent Malayalam actor Dileep on Monday in a high-profile case stemming from the 2017 abduction and sexual assault of a South Indian actress, while convicting six other men involved in the attack. The ruling, delivered by Ernakulam Principal Sessions Judge Honey M. Varghese in Kochi, came after an eight-year trial that drew intense public scrutiny due to the involvement of film industry figures.

The incident occurred on the night of February 17, 2017, when the actress, known for her roles in Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu cinema, was traveling in a car driven by one of the accused near Kochi. According to court records, six men forced their way into the vehicle, held her captive for about two hours, sexually assaulted her, and filmed the attack with a mobile phone to use for blackmail. The assailants then released her near the residence of a film director, who assisted her in contacting police and filing a complaint. Prosecutors described the assault as a deliberate act of conspiracy aimed at intimidating and humiliating the victim, who had previously clashed with Dileep over industry disputes.

Dileep, whose real name is Gopalakrishnan Padmanabhan, was...