Kerala HC Dismisses Dileep's Plea Opposing Further Investigation In Sexual Assault Case

On March 8, the Kerala High Court dismissed the plea by actor Dileep, in which he opposed further investigations being conducted in the 2017 sexual assault case, in which is named as eighth accused. The ruling by the court stated that the investigation will go on and the report needs to be submitted by a given date.

Justice Kauser Edappagath ordered that the investigations may continue, "however, it (investigation agency) shall complete the further investigation and file the further report as expeditiously as possible. At any rate not later than April 15, 2022."

The case revolves around the alleged sexual assault of a woman actor from the Malayalam film industry. Another case against the actor was filed by the Kerala Police Crime Branch, along with five others, on charges of threatening the investigating officials in the sexual assault case.

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Kerala HC Dismiss Actor Dileep Plea

This judgement by the court came after Dileep had filed a plea opposing the Kerala Crime Branch's further investigation into the case followed by the statement given by filmmaker Balachandra Kumar.

Dileep had filed the plea on February 2, this year. In the plea, he stated that further investigation in the case is a "willful attempt to protract the trial." He also stated that it should not be permissible as the final report has been filed in November 2017 and the charges were made in January 2020.

On the night of February 17, 2017, a female actor, who has worked in the Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam film industry was allegedly abducted and molested inside her car by a group of men.

The survivor of the 2017 case also filed an impleadment motion in the court against Dileep's plea. On February 15, she was allowed to be part of the proceedings and stated that she supports the prosecution's decision to probe further as she wants the truth behind the incident to be revealed.

In this ongoing case, the High Court had reserved the judgement on February 24. Recently the survivor came ahead and gave an interview to the news media. There she stated, "It happened in 2017 and my whole life was turned upside down...One time I used to think that it's a long nightmare was constantly blaming myself. There were so many times, I desperately wanted to go back to the time before it happened so that I could change everything."

She added, "...I am a survivor not a victim anymore. If I survive this, then I'm not just standing up for myself but also for the dignity of all the women who will come after me."