The Supreme Court has granted an extension of eight months to conclude the trial of the 2017 actress attack case, with actor Dileep as one of the accused. This decision was made in response to a plea from the principal sessions court in Ernakulam, which argued that additional time is needed to complete the hearing of witnesses in the case. As per the report filed by trial court judge Honey M Varghese, the testimonies of the magistrate who recorded statements from key witnesses, three lab experts, and three investigation officials are still pending.
In addition to granting the extension, the apex court has directed the trial court to expedite the trial process. On the other hand, actor Dileep’s counsel, who appeared before the Supreme Court, claimed that the prosecution is attempting to delay the trial and urged the court to bring it to a swift conclusion.
Earlier in July, Dileep approached the Kerala High Court, alleging that there was an attempt to prolong the trial, and stating that his life had been negatively impacted by the extended proceedings.
The incident at the heart of the case occurred on February 17, 2017, when a Malayalam actress was abducted and sexually assaulted by a gang in Kochi. The perpetrators recorded the assault. Actor Dileep faced arrest and spent nearly six months in jail due to alleged links with the gang.
The trial faced interruptions in 2022 when director Balachandra Kumar made serious allegations against Dileep, claiming to have met the prime accused, Pulsar Suni, at Dileep’s residence in 2016.
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