The trial in the 2017 Kerala actor abduction and assault case has concluded, with the verdict scheduled to be pronounced by the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court on December 8. The trial began on January 30, 2020, nearly three years after the incident.

The case centres on Malayalam actor Dileep, who is accused of conspiring to abduct and sexually assault a fellow female actor in a moving car in Kochi on February 17, 2017. A case was registered the same day, and the police arrested several suspects within days, including the prime accused, Pulsar Suni. The investigation later pointed to a wider conspiracy, leading to Dileep’s arrest on July 10, 2017. The actor, named the eighth accused in the chargesheet, spent 85 days in custody before securing bail on October 3, 2017.

The case sent shockwaves across the Malayalam film industry and Kerala society at large. Over the course of the five-year-long trial, the case also saw several twists, from witness hostilities and digital evidence tampering to multiple petitions filed by the accused that slowed down proceedings. Dileep allegedly tried to illegally access the memory card that contains visuals of the assault, which led to a parallel probe. The state government also accused the actor of purposely trying to delay the trial.

After a brief hiatus post his arrest and subsequent release, Dileep is now busy with multiple acting projects lined up. He is currently awaiting the release of Bha Bha Ba, slated to hit screens on December 18. His new film, tentatively titled D 152, with Jagan Shaji Kailas, went on floors earlier this month.