Kochi (Kerala) [India], December 8 : Actor Dileep on Monday expressed profound gratitude to his family, supporters and legal team after a trial court in Kerala's Ernakulam acquitted him of all charges in the 2017 sexual assault case.
The actor said he was overwhelmed by the support he received from people. "I wholeheartedly thank all my family members who stood with me today, my friends and their families, and the countless people, lakhs of people whom I have never seen or heard who prayed for me. I express my sincere gratitude to each one of them," he said.
Dileep also thanked his legal team, acknowledging their efforts throughout the case. "I also thank my beloved lawyers who defended me day and night with complete sincerity for the past nine years. Everyone knows, Raman Pillai sir, I owe him my life, and I thank him with all my heart. Along with him, Sujesh Menon, my college mate and senior Philip T. Varghese and his associates, Shubha, Nithya and other juniors, I extend my gratitude to all of them. I also thank Mukul Rohatgi sir and Ranjitha Rohatgi and the other lawyers at the Supreme Court."
The actor added that he received support from people across various fields during legal proceedings. "There are so many people from different walks of life who supported me throughout these nine years, it is impossible to name them all individually, but I express my sincere gratitude to each one of them at this moment," he said.
Ernakulam Principal Sessions Judge Honey M Varghese acquitted Dileep of the offences charged against him in the case after the trial that lasted around eight years. Dileep was the eighth accused in the case.
The court, however, has found the accused from no. 1 to no. 6 guilty and will pronounce punishment for those found guilty on December 12.
The accused in the case were the first accused, NS Sunil, widely known as 'Pulsur Suni', alleged to have orchestrated the abduction and assault of the actress. The second accused, Martin Antony, third accused B. Manikandan, fourth accused V P Vijeesh, fifth accused H Salim alias Vadiwal Salim, sixth accused Pradeep, seventh accused Charly Thomas, ninth accused Sanilkumar, alias Mesthri Sanil, and the fifteenth accused, G Sarath.
The case pertains to an actress who worked in Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu films and was allegedly abducted and molested inside her car by a group of men who had forced their way into the vehicle on the night of February 17, 2017.
The charges invoked against the accused span a wide range of IPC sections, including criminal conspiracy (120A, 120B), abetment (109), wrongful confinement (342, 357), kidnapping (366), outraging modesty (354), attempt to disrobe (354B), gang rape (376D), criminal intimidation (506(i)), destruction of evidence (201), harbouring an offender (212), and common intention (34).
The trial, which began on March 8, 2018, has been lengthy and complex. A total of 261 witnesses were examined, many in camera, including several prominent film personalities, with 28 witnesses turning hostile. Over the years, two special prosecutors stepped down, and the survivor's request to replace the presiding judge was denied.
The prosecution submitted 833 documents and 142 material objects, while the defence produced 221 documents. Witness examination alone spanned 438 days.