Kerala actress assault case sentence has been delivered by the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court, which handed 20-year jail terms and a fine of Rs50,000 each to all six convicted men, including primary accused Pulsar Suni. The court stopped short of imposing capital punishment, citing the advancing age of the convicts and the impact on their families, but still imposed one of the harshest custodial sentences available under law for the offences involved.
Verdict and sentencing details
The six men were convicted on charges including gang rape, criminal conspiracy, abduction and related offences tied to the February 2017 attack on a Malayalam actress inside a moving vehicle. Each was sentenced to 20 years’ rigorous imprisonment and ordered to pay Rs50,000 in fines, reflecting the gravity of the crimes and the prolonged trauma inflicted on the survivor. The ruling drew intense public and media attention, with reporters and cameras gathered outside the court from early morning as the verdict was read.
Judge and prosecution weighed arguments for capital punishment, but ultimately opted for long-term imprisonment rather than the death penalty, taking into account factors such as age and family responsibilities of the convicts. Prosecutors had argued that the punishment should serve not only as justice for the individual case but as a strong deterrent to future crimes of this nature, underscoring the wider social implications of the judgment.
Convicts, survivor and Dileep’s position
Those convicted include: Sunil N.S. (known as Pulsar Suni, the prime accused), Martin Antony, B. Manikandan, Vijesh V.P., H. Salim and Pradeep. In court, some of the men pleaded for leniency, citing dependent family members, with Martin stating he had already spent about five and a half years in jail and continued to maintain his innocence. Despite these appeals, the court imposed uniform sentences on all six based on their roles in the crime as established during trial.
The survivor’s consistent and detailed testimony over several years was key to securing the convictions, and her lawyer, TB Mini, reiterated outside court that she remains convinced of actor Dileep’s guilt, even though he was acquitted alongside three others: Charley Thomas, Sanil Kumar (alias Mesthri Sanil) and Sarath. The ruling closes a major chapter in one of Kerala’s most closely watched criminal cases, while continuing to fuel debates about power dynamics in the Malayalam film industry, systemic reforms and the protection of women working in cinema.
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