Court Upholds Survivor’s Complaint in Actress Assault Case, Dealing Setback to Dileep Over Memory Card Access

In the ongoing developments surrounding the 2017 actress assault case, the Kerala High Court has made a significant decision regarding actor Dileep’s petition. Dileep, who stands accused in the case, sought an adjournment of the hearing concerning the survivor’s complaint about unauthorized access to a crucial memory card. The actress, in her complaint, urged the High Court’s intervention to address the alleged tampering with this key evidence.

Dileep’s plea claimed that the survivor’s new petition was an attempt to prolong the trial and delay the verdict. However, the High Court has rejected Dileep’s plea, highlighting that only he raised concerns about launching a probe into the supposed evidence tampering. The government counsel supported the survivor’s demand, setting the stage for the High Court to announce its verdict on the matter in the near future.

Dileep’s legal team questioned the survivor’s motivations behind her fresh complaint, particularly since the court was already considering her plea for intervention regarding the memory card’s unauthorized access. Dileep himself expressed confidence in his position, stating, “I have obtained the evidence to prove that no one tampered with the memory card so far. It will be disclosed during the trial. Cross-examination of the witnesses from the Forensic Science Laboratory is not completed yet. Releasing the evidence to prove arguments will affect the trial. My arguments will be informed to the court in a sealed cover.”

During the course of impassioned arguments, the survivor’s counsel dismissed Dileep’s claims and pointed out that the Supreme Court had extended the trial completion timeline. The apex court directed the trial court in Ernakulam to wrap up proceedings by March 31, 2024.

The case involves the abduction and sexual assault of a Malayalam actress in a moving car by a gang in Kochi on February 17, 2017. The attackers recorded the assault, leading to a series of legal actions. Actor Dileep was arrested and imprisoned for nearly half a year due to alleged ties with the gang.

In 2022, the trial was disrupted when director Balachandra Kumar raised serious allegations against Dileep. Kumar claimed to have encountered the prime accused, Pulsar Suni, at Dileep’s residence in 2016, injecting further complexity into an already intricate case.