Survivor in Kerala actress assault case files FIR for 'cyber harassment' and identity leak following Dileep acquittal

Dubai: A week after the trial court delivered its verdict acquitting actor Dileep and convicting six others in the 2017 Kerala actor abduction and sexual assault case, the survivor has once again approached the police, this time alleging cyber harassment and the circulation of an online video that compromises her identity.

According to a report in The News Minute, the complaint says the video—linked to one of the convicted accused—has been widely shared on digital platforms following the verdict, exposing personal details of the survivor in violation of laws meant to protect the privacy and dignity of sexual assault victims.

The development comes amid heightened public attention and polarised debate surrounding the case, which has returned to the spotlight after years of prolonged legal proceedings.

On December 8, the District and Principal Sessions Court in Kochi pronounced its verdict in the nearly eight-year-old case, convicting six accused—Pulsar Suni, Martin Antony, B Manikandan, Vijeesh VP, Salim H alias Vadival Salim, and Pradeep—for their roles in the abduction and sexual assault of the actor on February 7, 2017.

The crime, carried out while the survivor was travelling in a car, had shocked Kerala and the country, triggering widespread outrage and renewed conversations around women’s safety, power structures in the film industry, and the treatment of survivors within the criminal justice system.

The case had a profound impact beyond the courtroom, eventually leading to the formation of the Hema Committee, which investigated systemic issues of sexual harassment and gender discrimination in the Malayalam film industry. Its findings, though long-awaited, were seen as a watershed moment in exposing the vulnerabilities faced by women in cinema.

The survivor’s latest complaint underscores the continuing challenges faced by victims even after judicial closure, particularly in the digital age, where online abuse, doxxing, and identity exposure often follow high-profile verdicts. Police are now examining the complaint to determine the origin and circulation of the video and to identify those responsible for the alleged cyber offences.