In a fresh turn in the long-running 2017 actor assault case, the Kerala government has moved the High Court challenging the acquittal of Malayalam actor Dileep and three other accused. The prosecution on Friday filed an appeal against the trial court verdict that had cleared them of charges, while also seeking enhanced punishment for those already convicted in the case.
The appeal questioned the trial court’s decision to acquit Dileep, Charley Thomas, Sanil Kumar alias Mesthri Sanil, and Sarath. At the same time, the state has urged the High Court to increase the sentences awarded to six other accused who were found guilty in the case, as per PTI.
Those convicted include Sunil Kumar, popularly known as Pulsar Suni, along with Martin Antony, Manikandan B, Vijesh V P, Salim H, and Pradeep. The trial court had sentenced them to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for their roles in the crime.
In its petition, the state government has argued that the acquittals warrant a re-examination and that the punishment imposed on the convicted accused is inadequate, given the gravity of the offence.
According to PTI, the appeal is expected to come up for hearing next week, a state government lawyer said, indicating that the legal proceedings will now move into their next phase.
The case, which has been under the public lens since 2017, continues to draw widespread attention due to the seriousness of the crime and the involvement of prominent figures from the Malayalam film industry.
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