The Kerala government has decided to file an appeal against the trial court verdict in the 2017 actor assault case, Minister for Industries, Coir and Law, P Rajeev said on Monday, hours after the Ernakulam Principal District and Sessions Court acquitted Malayalam actor Dileep. In a post on social media, Rajeev said the decision to appeal had been taken after discussions with the Honourable Chief Minister. “The state government has decided to file an appeal against the trial court verdict in the actress assault case. The matter has been discussed with the Honourable Chief Minister. The government stands with the survivor,” the minister said.

Earlier in the day, the sessions court acquitted Dileep, the eighth accused in the case, citing failure on the part of the prosecution to prove the charges against him. Another accused, Charlie Thomas, was also acquitted. At the same time, the court found six other accused guilty, including the prime accused Sunil N S alias Pulsar Suni. Those convicted were found guilty of offences including criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, use of criminal force, disrobing and gang rape under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, as well as under the Information Technology Act for recording the sexual assault. The court has said that sentences will be pronounced on December 12.

The case pertains to an incident on February 17, 2017, when a prominent woman actor was abducted while travelling to a film shoot in Thrissur and sexually assaulted inside a moving vehicle. The assault was filmed by the perpetrators. Dileep, one of the most prominent actors in Malayalam cinema, had been arrested in July 2017 on allegations that he had conspired to orchestrate the crime. He was granted bail later that year. The trial began in 2020 and continued for nearly five years.