Actor Dileep calls Kerala abduction case ‘cooked-up story’ after acquittal

Ernakulam: Malayalam actor Dileep, acquitted on Monday in the 2017 actress abduction and sexual assault case, claimed outside the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court that the police had framed him and that their “cooked-up story” collapsed during the trial. He emerged smiling, waved to supporters amid tight security, and was escorted by a team of lawyers as celebrations broke out with distribution of laddoos near the court complex and at his residence in Aluva.

Dileep alleged that investigators persuaded the prime accused and some others to fabricate a narrative aimed at destroying his career and linked the “conspiracy” to his former wife Manju and a senior police officer, accusing them of using sections of the media to spread baseless stories. He thanked his lead counsel, Raman Pillai, and other members of his legal team, calling the verdict a moment of immense happiness, but refused to name the alleged conspirators, telling reporters it was for the media to find out.

Earlier in the day, Dileep reached Ernakulam around 9.30 a.m. with his brother and another accused, stopping first at his lawyer’s office before proceeding to court, where all 10 accused were present as directed. The court held that the prosecution had failed to prove criminal conspiracy beyond reasonable doubt, acquitting Dileep and three others, while finding the first six accused guilty in the 2017 incident, in which a leading Malayalam actress was abducted and sexually assaulted in a moving vehicle on her way to Kochi.

The crime had triggered widespread outrage in Kerala and sparked discussions on women’s safety and misuse of influence within the Malayalam film industry. While the prime accused remains convicted for the assault itself, the conspiracy charge against Dileep has fallen through, prompting disappointment from women’s rights groups, even as the prosecution is expected to study the verdict before deciding on an appeal.

The survivor has so far declined to comment on the outcome, saying she is not interested in reacting at this moment. Her close friend and dubbing artiste Bhagyalakshmi, who supported her throughout, said the acquittal was along expected lines and reiterated that she had anticipated such a verdict four years ago.

(Inputs from IANS)