8 years since a high-profile sexual assault case of a Malayalam actress on a moving van shook the Indian film industry on February 17, 2017, Mollywood actor Dileep who was listed as accused No: 8 in the case, has been acquitted of all charges by a Kerala sessions Court on December 8, 2025 (Monday). 

The long-awaited verdict on the case declared the main accused Pulsar Suni and accused no: 2 to 6 Martin Antony, R Manikantan, VP Vijesh, H Salim and Pradeep guilty of offences under Sections 120B, 340, 354, 366, 354B, 376D of the Indian Penal Code. They were also convicted under Section 66A of the Information Technology Act.

Dileep's acquittal is being viewed as 'deeply troubling', considering the Malayalam actor was originally charged with criminal conspiracy, and the orchestration of the first known case of ‘quotation rape’ (hiring someone to rape a woman) in South India. Quotation Rape has since been highlighted in Tamil movies like Vettaiyan (2024) which starred Rajinikanth, Amitabh Bachchan, and incidentally Dileep's ex-wife Manju Warrier, whose relationship woes** with her then cheating husband, is said to be the root cause behind the revenge act of quotation rape.

**Manju Warrier has been reported to have pressured the victim into confirming details of who her then-husband Dileep was cheating with, which eventually lead to Manju Warrier and Dileep's divorce, Dileep marrying Kavya Madhavan with whom he was in the extra-marital relationship, and the victim earning the wrath of the Mollywood-powerful Dileep.

Can't wrap my head around this judgement. Blood boiling stuff

— Srihari S (@SrihariS99) December 8, 2025

Since 2017, Dileep has served time in jail, and has been accused of gross crimes like possessing visuals of the sexual assault, tampering with evidence, shaming the survivor, influencing witnesses, etc. Post his acquittal, Dileep addressed the media outside the court, and stated, 

"The conspiracy against me started when Manju Warrier claimed there was a criminal conspiracy that needed investigation. The then high-ranking officer, along with a group of criminal police officers, filed a case. They conspired with the main accused and co-accused in the case to fabricate a false story. Later, the police team collaborated with certain media outlets and journalists sympathetic to them to spread the false narrative on social media.

 

The false story concocted by the police team was demolished in court. The real conspiracy was to make me a suspect and to destroy my career, reputation,and life in society.”

VIDEO | Ernakulam: Malayalam actor Dileep interacts with the media after the Kerala court acquits him in the 2017 actress assault case.#Ernakulam #Dileep #Kerala

(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/T0e87KoEmE

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 8, 2025