Dileep acquitted: Court rejects Manju Warrier’s claims of enmity towards survivor

Dubai: In the high-profile 2017 Kerala actor abduction and sexual assault case, actor Dileep’s first wife, Manju Warrier, had alleged in court that Dileep was angry with the survivor.

The trial court, however, dismissed these claims, citing a lack of corroborative evidence, according to reports.

Reflecting on the verdict, Manju wrote on social media: “The fact that those who planned it, whoever they may be, are still out in the open is a frightening reality.”

Manju testified that she had learned of private messages exchanged between Dileep and actress Kavya Madhavan in February 2012.

Concerned about the alleged affair, she attempted to contact Dileep, Kavya, and Kavya’s mother but received no satisfactory response. She then reached out to the survivor and singer Rimi Tomy and shared the matter with friends, including actors Geethu Mohandas and Samyukta Varma.

On February 14, 2012, Manju, accompanied by Geethu and Samyukta, visited the survivor’s home to discuss the alleged relationship. According to her testimony, the survivor became emotional and disclosed information that reinforced Manju’s suspicions. Manju later confronted Dileep, who reportedly dismissed her concerns and called the survivor “immature.”

Manju said that these events contributed to the eventual dissolution of her marriage to Dileep in January 2015.

The trial court found inconsistencies in Manju’s account, noting that her earlier statements to the police did not mention contacting Kavya, her mother, or the survivor on the dates she described. Supporting witnesses, including Geethu Mohandas and Rimi Tomy, provided limited corroboration, and Kavya Madhavan denied any extramarital relationship or hostility toward the survivor.

The court concluded that there was no substantive evidence to establish that Dileep harbored enmity toward the survivor from 2012 or that an affair had occurred, leading to the rejection of Manju’s deposition.

With these contradictions and lack of corroboration, the court dismissed the allegations against Dileep, who was later acquitted in the case. Despite the acquittal, the case remains a significant chapter in Kerala’s film industry and public discourse on accountability.