The prosecution's narrative, the defence's counterclaims, and the industry's deep fractures have unfolded across courts, police departments, and film unions - leaving behind one of Kerala's most complex legal sagas.

The crime

A prominent woman actor, known across all major South Indian film industries, was kidnapped and sexually assaulted by a gang inside a car travelling through Kochi on February 17, 2017. The prime accused, Sunil Kumar - widely known as Pulsar Suni - filmed the assault, capturing multiple video clips. Within two days, three of the accused were arrested; Suni was caught a short time later.

Below is a comprehensive timeline of the case that redefined conversations around gender, power and accountability in Malayalam cinema.

2017

April 2017: Chargesheet filed

The police filed their first chargesheet, naming Suni and six others. At this stage, investigators had not yet alleged any conspiracy or motive behind the crime.

May 2017: Women in Cinema Collective forms

A group of women in Malayalam cinema came together in solidarity with the survivor, forming the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC). They met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and submitted a petition seeking stronger action on workplace issues affecting women in the industry.

June 2017: A letter and a breakthrough

A letter allegedly written by Pulsar Suni surfaced, addressed to Malayalam superstar Dileep. In it, Suni claimed he had not "betrayed" the actor and complained that Dileep had failed to provide him with legal support. He demanded money.

Dileep refuted the allegations and even suggested in an interview that the survivor had earlier been friendly with Suni. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) then questioned Dileep and filmmaker Nadirshah for nearly 13 hours.

July 10, 2017: Dileep arrested

Police arrested Dileep, sending shockwaves through the state and the film fraternity. At the time, he was the treasurer of A.M.M.A., the industry's influential artists' body. Under growing pressure from WCC, A.M.M.A. expelled him, and other major unions followed.

September 2017: Boycott calls and 'Avalkkoppam'

As his film 'Ramleela' released, social media saw heated debates and boycott campaigns. Reacting to strong public support for Dileep within the industry, WCC launched the 'Avalkkoppam' (We Stand With Her) movement at the state film awards. Dileep secured bail on 3 October after spending 85 days in jail.

November 2017: Second chargesheet

Investigators filed a second, expansive chargesheet naming 12 accused, including Dileep as the eighth. Actor Manju Warrier, Dileep's former spouse, was listed as a key witness. More than 50 industry insiders were also named as witnesses.

2018-2019

January 2018: Video evidence battle begins

Dileep asked a court for access to the assault footage, claiming it would prove his innocence. The request was rejected. The trial was shifted to the Ernakulam Sessions Court, and key officers in the investigation team were transferred in a police reshuffle.

June 2018: A.M.M.A. controversy and demand for CBI probe

With Mohanlal elected as the new A.M.M.A. president, the body moved to reinstate Dileep, angering many members. WCC and the survivor walked out in protest. The backlash forced Dileep to decline the reinstatement.

He also asked the High Court to hand the case over to the CBI, saying he had no faith in the state police.

August-December 2018: Repeated pleas for access to visuals

Dileep moved from one court to another - including the Supreme Court - to obtain the footage. The state government opposed this, warning that the survivor's privacy was at stake. By December, the High Court rejected the CBI probe request.

February 2019: Judge Honey M Varghese appointed

After the survivor requested that a woman judge handle the case, the state appointed Sessions Judge Honey Varghese. She also allowed the trial to proceed in camera.

May-December 2019: Supreme Court denies access to visuals

The Supreme Court examined the matter and refused to give Dileep a copy of the footage, stating that he and his lawyers had already viewed it multiple times. Dileep then sought to discharge himself from the case, claiming the visuals were fabricated, but the court dismissed the plea.

2020

January-September 2020: Witnesses turn hostile

Charges were formally framed. Soon after, several crucial witnesses - including actors Siddique, Bhama, Edavela Babu and Bindu Panicker - retracted earlier statements, weakening the prosecution. The visuals were sent for forensic re-verification at Dileep's request. The trial finally began in late January.

October-December 2020: Survivor alleges bias

The survivor approached the High Court seeking to transfer the case, alleging that the trial court displayed hostility towards her. The plea was dismissed, prompting Special Public Prosecutor A Suresan to resign. The state government also approached the Supreme Court for a transfer, but its petition was rejected.

2021-2022

December 2021: Director's allegations spark fresh turmoil

Filmmaker Balachandrakumar alleged that he had seen Pulsar Suni at Dileep's home and claimed that Dileep, family members and a VIP guest had viewed the assault clips together. The next day, Special Public Prosecutor Anilkumar resigned.

January-February 2022: Audio clips surface

Audio recordings purportedly featuring Dileep discussing retaliation against police officers investigating him were released by Balachandrakumar.

A fresh FIR was registered against Dileep for allegedly plotting to harm the officials. His house was later raided. Meanwhile, the survivor publicly spoke out for the first time, expressing concerns over the possibility of the assault visuals being leaked.

April 2022: More leaks emerge

Another set of leaked calls - allegedly featuring Dileep's brother-in-law Sooraj - hinted that the visuals had been examined in detail beyond what was permitted by the court. Concerns grew over how the clips may have been accessed illegally. A police reshuffle followed.

May 2022: Hacker turns approver

Hacker Sai Shankar, who had assisted Dileep in handling mobile data, turned approver. Around the same time, a photo showing Balachandrakumar with Dileep surfaced, contradicting the actor's previous denials.

2022-2024

June-October 2022: Safety of visual evidence questioned

Forensic reports revealed that the memory card containing the assault footage had been accessed multiple times while in court custody. Judge Honey Varghese had received a report in 2020 but had not informed investigators. The survivor again petitioned higher courts, alleging serious breaches of her privacy.

February-August 2023: Amicus Curiae appointed

The High Court appointed advocate Renjith B Marar as amicus curiae to frame guidelines for securing electronic evidence. He later withdrew amid allegations of conflict of interest.

February-April 2024: Memory card leak confirmed

A Sessions Court inquiry found that a magistrate and two court employees had accessed the visuals without authorisation. The survivor demanded an SIT probe, saying repeated changes in the memory card's hash value violated her rights.

August 2024: Hema Committee report released

The Kerala Government released a redacted version of the Hema Committee report, which exposed systemic exploitation of women in Malayalam cinema and named powerful figures. More than 30 FIRs followed. The revelations triggered mass resignations from A.M.M.A., including its president Mohanlal.

2024-2025

December 2024: Death of whistleblower

Balachandrakumar, whose statements had reshaped the case, died from kidney-related complications.

February 2025: Trial reaches its end

The trial formally ended in February, but supplementary hearings continued for months as clarifications were sought. Pulsar Suni was once again shown the video at his lawyer's request.

November 2025: Verdict date announced

On 25 November, the trial court informed that the verdict would be delivered on 8 December 2025.