Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the state government would continue to support the survivor in the 2017 Malayalam actor assault case despite Malayalam actor Dileep’s acquittal. He stated that the government had stood with the survivor throughout the investigation and trial and would not change its position now.
Vijayan said the judgment would be studied in detail, and further legal steps — including a possible appeal — would be decided only after a full legal review. According to him, the general public and the legal community had expressed confidence in how the prosecution handled the case, and the government’s approach sent a clear message that it takes crimes against women seriously.
Responding to UDF convenor Adoor Prakash’s remark that Dileep had “got justice,” Vijayan said that the comment reflected only the UDF’s political position. He argued that society at large had stood with the survivor, and the government would continue to do the same. He criticised Prakash’s question on why the government was considering an appeal, calling the remark contrary to public sentiment.
On Dileep’s allegation that he was framed through a police conspiracy, Vijayan rejected the claim, saying that the police acted only on the evidence gathered and that no investigation could be seen as a conspiracy against an individual.
Dileep was acquitted on December 8 by the trial court in the sexual assault and abduction case that saw the survivor attacked inside a moving car. The verdict closed an eight-year legal battle but triggered strong political reactions across Kerala.
