Published on: 08 December, 2025 19:46 IST
The Kerala government has announced its decision to appeal the verdict of the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court, which acquitted actor Dileep (the eighth accused) in the high-profile actor rape and abduction case.
Law Minister P. Rajeeve confirmed the decision to reporters on Monday following the acquittal. He stated that he has already consulted with the Chief Minister and that the government is committed to challenging the verdict. The prosecution has been directed to initiate the necessary steps for the appeal.
While the government believes the crime itself was proven, Mr. Rajeeve emphasized the need to analyze why the conspiracy behind the assault could not be established, requiring a detailed study of the verdict. The Minister pointed out that the verdict seems to contradict the prosecution’s massive, five-volume, 1,512-page argument note and the thoroughness of the investigation.
Mr. Rajeeve reiterated the State government’s consistent support for the survivor, stressing that the investigation and prosecution teams were granted full freedom and that the survivor was kept informed and confident throughout the proceedings. The Director General of Prosecution also intervened as needed.
The Minister firmly dismissed Dileep’s post-acquittal accusation that a “gang of criminal police officers” was behind the case, calling it “the rant of any acquitted accused.”
Mr. Rajeeve asserted that the government handled the case with the utmost seriousness it deserved, adding that the “level of due diligence in investigation and prosecution maintained would not have been possible if Pinarayi Vijayan had not been the Chief Minister and the Left Democratic Front had not been in power.” He concluded by affirming the diligence of the police investigation and the prosecution’s confidence in the case they presented.