On June 22, 2026, a Division Bench of the Kerala High Court formally admitted the State of Kerala’s appeal challenging the acquittal of actor Dileep and three others in the high-profile 2017 Malayalam actress assault case.
The bench, comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V. and Justice K.V. Jayakumar, simultaneously directed the Sessions Court, Ernakulam to produce the trial court records before it, according to LiveLaw.
Background: How We Got Here
The case traces back to February 17, 2017, when a prominent Malayalam actress was allegedly abducted while travelling from Thrissur to Kochi and sexually assaulted inside a moving vehicle. The incident triggered one of the most closely watched criminal trials in Kerala’s history.
After a trial spanning nearly eight years, Judge Honey M. Varghese of the Ernakulam Principal District and Sessions Court delivered a landmark verdict on December 8, 2025. Six accused — A1 through A6, including prime accused Pulsar Suni — were convicted. Dileep (A8), Charly Thomas (A7), Sanilkumar alias Mesthiri Sanil (A9), and Sarath G. Nair (A15) were acquitted.
- The six convicted persons were sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for offences including gang rape, criminal conspiracy, and kidnapping under Sections 376D, 120B, 366, 354, 354B, and 340 IPC, among others.
- The Sessions Court held that the prosecution had failed to prove criminal conspiracy by Dileep beyond a reasonable doubt, per LiveLaw.
- The State of Kerala filed its appeal before the Kerala High Court in February 2026. An earlier Division Bench of Justice A.K. Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice Jobin Sebastian condoned a 17-day delay in the filing and issued notices to all respondents, including Dileep, on March 10, 2026, as reported by The Statesman.
The Ruling — Key Findings
The Division Bench of Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V. and Justice K.V. Jayakumar, on June 22, 2026, formally admitted the state’s appeal in the case styled State of Kerala v. Sunil N.S. @ Pulsar Suni and Ors. and connected cases, and called for records from the trial court, according to LiveLaw and The News Minute.
The State’s appeal characterises the acquittals in sharp terms. In its petition, the State of Kerala has described the acquittals as “wholly illegal and unmerited and the same gives a wrong message to the society.”
Beyond challenging the acquittals of Dileep, Charly Thomas, Sanilkumar, and Sarath G. Nair, the State is also seeking enhancement of sentences for the six convicted accused. The state argues that the 20-year rigorous imprisonment is merely the statutory minimum and is inadequate given the gravity of the offences, per The Federal and The Statesman.
The prosecution’s core theory, as reported by LiveLaw, is that Dileep (A8) and Pulsar Suni (A1) entered into a primary criminal conspiracy as far back as 2013, driven by personal enmity against the survivor. The state contests the trial court’s conclusion that this larger conspiracy was not established by holistic evaluation of the evidence.
Advocate V. Ajakumar has been appointed Special Public Prosecutor to represent the State before the High Court. He had also argued the case for the prosecution before the trial court, according to The News Minute and ProKerala.
Reactions & What’s Next
The Division Bench is concurrently hearing appeals filed by the six convicted accused, who are challenging both their convictions and the sentences imposed by the trial court, as reported by LiveLaw and The News Minute.
The matter has been posted after two weeks for hearing sentence suspension petitions filed by the convicted accused, including prime accused Pulsar Suni, per ProKerala and The News Minute.
Adding another layer to the ongoing litigation, the survivor separately moved the Kerala High Court on June 12, 2026, seeking a court-monitored SIT investigation into alleged unauthorised access to and tampering of the memory card containing the assault visuals. That petition remains pending, according to The News Minute.
Full coverage: LiveLaw. More legal news at The Courtroom.
Why did the Sessions Court acquit actor Dileep in the 2017 actress assault case?
The Sessions Court, Ernakulam held that the prosecution failed to prove criminal conspiracy by Dileep (A8) beyond a reasonable doubt. Judge Honey M. Varghese delivered this verdict on December 8, 2025, acquitting Dileep along with Charly Thomas (A7), Sanilkumar alias Mesthiri Sanil (A9), and Sarath G. Nair (A15).
What is the State of Kerala seeking in its High Court appeal against Dileep’s acquittal?
The State is seeking reversal of the acquittals of Dileep and three others. It is also seeking enhancement of sentences for the six convicted accused, arguing that the 20-year rigorous imprisonment is the statutory minimum and insufficient given the crime’s gravity. The state has called the acquittals “wholly illegal and unmerited.”
Which judges are hearing the Dileep acquittal appeal at the Kerala High Court?
The appeal is currently before a Division Bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V. and Justice K.V. Jayakumar. An earlier bench of Justice A.K. Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice Jobin Sebastian had condoned the delay in filing and issued notices on March 10, 2026.
What is the next step in the 2017 actress assault case proceedings at the High Court?
The matter has been posted after two weeks from June 22, 2026 to hear sentence suspension petitions filed by the convicted accused, including prime accused Pulsar Suni. A separate petition by the survivor seeking a court-monitored SIT probe into alleged tampering of the assault video memory card also remains pending.
Disclaimer
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws may change or vary by case — consult a qualified lawyer before acting. The Courtroom is not liable for any reliance on this content.
