Kochi: Kerala government has filed petition in the High Court of Kerala challenging the verdict of trial court’s December 8, 2025, verdict acquitting actor Dileep and others in the 2017 actress gang rape case, Bar and Bench reported.
Ernakulam Principal District and Sessions Court convicted six others to 20 years rigorous imprisonment which is the minimum prescribed punishment under Section 376D (gang rape) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The petition has sought conviction of Dileep as well as three others who were acquitted by the trial court, Charlie Thomas, Sanilkumar aka Mesthiri Sanil and Sarath G Nair.
The petition also sought enhancement of the sentence awarded to the convicts Sunil N S aka Pulsar Suni, Martin Antony, Manikandan B, Vijeesh V P, Salim H aka Vadival Salim and Pradeep.
The case pertains to the abduction and sexual assault of the actress in a moving vehicle when she was on her way to a film shoot location on February 17, 2017.
The men also recorded videos of the assault.
In July, 2017, Dileep was arrested for allegedly conspiring and orchestrating the rape and was in jail for three months.
Govt disputes Actor abuse case verdict
