Malayalam actor Dileep on Monday levelled serious allegations against sections of the Kerala police and media soon after a local court acquitted him in the 2017 sexual assault case involving a south Indian actress.
The actor, who faced years of scrutiny and public criticism, said certain officials and media groups “hatched a conspiracy” to implicate him.
“There was a real conspiracy to make me an accused in the case,” he told reporters. “It was done to destroy my career, image, and life in society.”
Dileep criticised his ex-wife, actor Manju Warrier, saying the chain of events began with her statement calling for an investigation into an alleged criminal plot behind the assault.
He also alleged that a top woman police officer and a group of officers under her “acted against him.” According to him, the police “fabricated a false story” with the support of the prime accused, Sunil N. S. alias Pulsar Suni, and his jail co-inmate.
He also claimed: “Those police personnel and a section of media had propagated the false story against him through social media platforms.”
“Today, that false narrative, fabricated by the police was shattered in the court,” Dileep said, thanking his family, lawyers and fans for standing by him.
The Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court, after a lengthy trial, acquitted Dileep and three others. Judge Honey M. Varghese delivered the verdict on Monday, nearly two weeks after completing hearings on November 25.
Six others, including Pulsar Suni, who directly carried out the assault, were found guilty.
The case dates back to February 17, 2017, when the actress was assaulted inside a moving vehicle after a group of men forced their way into the car and held it under control for nearly two hours.
The incident shocked Kerala and led to multiple rounds of investigations.
Police arrested several accused soon after the attack and filed the first chargesheet in April 2017. Dileep was arrested on July 10, 2017, after investigators said they had found that Pulsar Suni had allegedly sent a letter to him from jail.
The ten individuals who faced trial were Sunil, Martin Antony, Manikandan B, Vijesh V P, Salim H, Pradeep, Charly Thomas, actor Dileep (P Gopalakrishnan), Sanil Kumar alias Mesthri Sanil, and Sharath.
