Eight years ago, a top female actor was kidnapped and sexually assaulted in a moving car in Kerala’s Kochi. A couple of months later, Dileep, a superstar in the Malayalam industry, was arrested, accused of masterminding the crime. 

From then, the case has seen a host of dramatic twists and turns. From multiple petitions at different courts to witnesses turning hostile, the journey has not been a simple one.

The case not just shocked the public but also led to many significant milestones in the history of Malayalam cinema, such as the formation of Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) and the release of the Hema Committee report. 

As we inch closer to the verdict, here is a complete timeline of the case and the milestones it set for the Malayalam film industry. 

February 17, 2017: A fateful night

A top female actor, who has acted in films across all south Indian languages, was abducted and sexually assaulted by a group of men. The crime took place in a moving car in Kochi. The prime accused, Sunil Kumar, infamously known as Pulsar Suni, also recorded the crime as eight clips. Within 48 hours, three of the seven accused were arrested. Suni and the others were arrested a few days later. 

On February 17, a top female actor in Kerala was abducted and sexually assaulted.Illustration by Shambhavi Thakur

April 2017:  First chargesheet

The police filed the first charge sheet in the case, naming Pulsar Suni and six others as accused. There was no conspiracy or motive linked to the crime at this time. 

May 2017: Women supporting women

A group of women actors in Malayalam cinema came together to support the survivor. They formed Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) to highlight the gender-related issues in the industry. They also met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to seek an investigation into the case and submitted a written appeal to address the workplace issues faced by women in the industry.

Members of WCC met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to seek an investigation into the case.

June 2017: A major plot twist

The case had its first major twist when a letter purportedly sent by Pulsar Suni surfaced. It was addressed to Dileep, a superstar in the industry who had worked with the survivor in several movies. In the letter, Suni said that he had not betrayed Dileep but blamed him for not arranging an advocate for him. He demanded money from Dileep. 

Dileep denied all the allegations at first. In an interview with Reporter, a Malayalam channel, Dileep blamed the survivor, saying that she had been friends with Pulsar Suni. A few days later, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by ADGP Sandhya and Aluva Rural SP AV George questioned Dileep and his friend Nadirshah for nearly 13 hours.

July 10, 2017: The fallout

The SIT arrested actor Dileep on July 10, 2017. The arrest shook the Malayalam film industry and Kerala.

Dileep is one of the most powerful insiders in Malayalam cinema. At the time of his arrest, he held the post of treasurer in the industry's top body, A.M.M.A. (Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes). But under pressure from the WCC, A.M.M.A. was forced to expel him. Soon, other major industry groups followed suit—including the Kerala Film Producers Association and FEFKA (Film Employees Federation of Kerala).

September 2017: Avalkkoppam (We stand with her)

By then, the Kerala society was divided on the issue, with people supporting either Dileep or the survivor. Dileep’s much-hyped movie Ramleela was released at the same time. This sparked a huge debate on social media, with many calling for a boycott of the film. 

In the same month, WCC launched the ‘Avalkoppam’ (We Stand With Her) campaign in response to several industry bigwigs supporting Dileep. They launched the campaign at the state film award presenting ceremony.

After spending 85 days in jail and repeated bail pleas, Dileep was granted bail on October 3.

WCC member Rima Kallingal holding a poster of ‘Avalkoppam’ (we stand with her) campaign on a stage performance. 

November 2017: A chargesheet and 50 witnesses 

The investigation team filed a 650-page-long second chargesheet, naming 12 people as accused. Dileep was the eighth accused. It also named Manju Warrier, a leading actor and his ex-wife, as a key witness. In her statement, Manju said that Dileep's extramarital relationship with actor Kavya Madhavan was the reason for her divorce from him. Manju also said that it was the survivor who had revealed this to her, which is why Dileep had been angry with her.

The chargesheet also named over 50 other 

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