Twists and turns in the Kerala actress assault case

Key events, dramatis personae: we bring everything to you on a case that was one of India's most watched

- Rajagopalan Venkataraman

“DILEEP DIARY”

One of India’s closely watched trials drew to a halt on December 8 after the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court acquitted prominent Malayalam actor Dileep of the charges of orchestrating the abduction and rape of a leading South Indian actress eight years ago. However, six other accused were held guilty.

The influential Malayalam actor, who has starred in hits such as Kammara Sambhavam, Meesha Madhavan, Kalyanaraman, CID Moosa and Kuberan, among others, said outside the court that the “criminal conspiracy” against him began after his former wife, the prominent actress Manju Warrier, levelled charges against him.

Here’s a look at the timeline of the case, containing key events over the past eight years:

A leading actress, known for her roles in movies across South Indian languages, was abducted and sexually assaulted by a group of men in a moving car. She was travelling to Kochi from her home in Thrissur. The prime accused, Sunil Kumar, also known as Pulsar Suni, filmed the assault on a mobile phone.

The actress filed a complaint with the police about the incident and a first information report, the basis for initiating investigation in India, was registered. Three arrests were soon made.

Police file the first chargesheet, naming Pulsar Suni and six others.

A group of women actors and other personalities unite to form the Women in Cinema Collective. The collective meets Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and seeks action.