Actors, directors, politicians: The cast of characters from Dileep case saga

On February 17, 2017, she was abducted while travelling and sexually assaulted in a moving vehicle. The assault was also recorded on video by the perpetrators. On Monday, the Ernakulam court convicted six people who the prosecution said were directly involved in the assault and were present in the vehicle when the incident took place. The court, however, acquitted four people, including Dileep.

After the assault case, she has acted in only one Malayalam movie, but has been active in other South Indian film industries. In 2022, five years after the assault, she said that the idea of survivors of sexual assault coming out in public and voicing their experiences should be normalised. Recalling the trial, she had said that by the end, she felt she was a survivor, not a victim.

She has not made a public comment after Monday’s verdict.

Dileep

Once one of Malayalam cinema’s most bankable stars, since 2017, Dileep’s career has largely been eclipsed by the abduction and sexual assault case, in which he was accused of being a conspirator and acquitted on Monday.

The prosecution alleged that the now 57-year-old hired the main accused, Pulsur Suni, to abduct the survivor, sexually assault her and record the crime.

Coming out of the court on Monday after his acquittal, Dileep’s first reaction was to hit out against those he claimed had conspired against him — police and the media.

In the Malayalam film industry, Dileep, whose real name is Gopalakrishnan, had held his own for over two decades as a lead actor despite the dominance of superstars like Mammootty and Mohanlal. Not just in front of the camera, Dileep had expanded his influence to almost all aspects of the film industry, becoming a producer and exhibitor, as well as running other businesses.

Like many in the Malayalam industry, Dileep, too, started as a mimicry artist at the famed Kochi-based Kalabhavan. His first hit movie, Sallapam (1996), was a turning point in his career and life. His co-star in the movie, Manju Warrier, became his wife in 1998. After their divorce, Dileep married another co-actor, Kavya Madhavan, who has starred opposite him in several movies.

Over the years, Dileep garnered increasing power and influence in the Malayalam film industry.

Balachandrakumar

The 2017 sexual assault case got a fresh twist in 2022, when director Balachandrakumar, an estranged friend of Dileep’s, alleged that Dileep had conspired to target police officers investigating the case. Based on this allegation, police registered a case against Dileep and others.

Balachandrakumar also alleged that Dileep had watched footage of the sexual assault in his presence. He further claimed that Dileep was close with Pulsar Suni, the main accused in the case who was found guilty on Monday. The court had ordered a probe into these allegations as well.

The director, who suffered from kidney-related ailments, died in December 2024.

P T Thomas

The late Congress leader, P T Thomas, was among the first to alert top police officers about the sexual assault suffered by the survivor.

After the assault on February 17, 2017, the survivor went to the residence of director Lal, with whom she was scheduled to work on a film. Lal informed producer Anto Joseph about the incident, and the producer took MLA Thomas along with him to meet the survivor. Seized by the gravity of the issue, Thomas immediately alerted the top brass of the Kochi city police, leading to prompt action in arresting those directly involved in the crime.

Thomas, who represented Thrikkakara Assembly seat, died in December 2021.

Last year, while attending an event, the survivor said, “I can never forget Thomas sir. He was the person who stood with me when I faced a crisis in my life. We do not meet too many such people who stand with us unconditionally.”

After the verdict on Monday, Thomas’ wife, Uma Thomas, who is also an MLA, said in a Facebook post, “PT’s soul will not be happy with today’s verdict. It was from this house that he had gone out, hearing that the woman was assaulted on the street… He had staged a fast seeking justice for her… He will not be happy about the verdict… The concern shared by the woman has proven true today.”

Manju Warrier

The 47-year-old actor is one of Malayalam cinema’s most recognisable figures, and is Dileep’s ex-wife.

She is one of the key Malayalam film industry figures who has stood with the survivor throughout. Days after the the 2017 assault, it was Warrier who alleged that the crime was part of a criminal conspiracy.

On Monday, after his acquittal, Dileep mention Warrier in his first comments, saying, “It was after Manju’s statement that there was a criminal conspiracy in the (actor’s sexual assault) case that a conspiracy began against me.”

Warrier and Dileep were married in 1998 and divorced in 2015. The prosecution in the 2017 case had alleged that Dileep held a grudge towards the survivor because she purportedly told Warrier about a relationship he had with another co-star.