A Kerala court on Monday acquitted Malayalam actor Dileep in the 2017 abduction and rape case that turned into one of the most widely discussed trials in the state’s history. According to the BBC, the verdict came from Judge Honey M Varghese in Ernakulam, who convicted six men - including Pulsar Suni - but cleared Dileep of criminal conspiracy. Dileep walked out with the charge wiped clean, something he had insisted on since day one. He spent nearly three months in custody back in 2017 before securing bail.
Dileep’s net worth and property
With the verdict out, attention has snapped back to Dileep’s finances - and there is a lot to talk about. According to The Daily Guardian, the actor’s estimated net worth hovers around ₹600 crore, a figure built on decades of box-office hits, a sprawling real-estate portfolio, hospitality ventures, theatres, and his own production company.
Industry trackers say his property spread is one of the largest owned by a Malayalam actor, with investments across Kerala and beyond. His multiple commercial ventures, steady rentals, and long career at the top of the Malayalam film industry have kept him in the league of the region’s wealthiest entertainers.
How the case began in 2017
The case goes back to February 2017. A well-known actress - she later waived anonymity in 2022 - was abducted and assaulted inside a moving vehicle while travelling from Thrissur to Kochi for a dubbing session. Her attackers filmed parts of the assault. “Maybe they wanted to blackmail me,” she told the BBC later, describing how the incident “turned my life upside down” and how she had “been to hell and back.”
Dileep was arrested months later, accused of plotting the crime. Police charged him with criminal conspiracy, gang rape, abduction, and sexual assault. The list of accused grew to a dozen men, with Suni named as the primary perpetrator. Media coverage through the years was relentless - often intrusive, sometimes cruel - with the survivor targeted by waves of online trolling, victim-shaming, and wild conspiracy theories.
A case that cracked open Malayalam film industry
The public outrage that followed pushed the Kerala government to set up the Hema Committee. Its report, released last year, described the Malayalam film industry as a space dominated by “a mafia of powerful men” where harassment was “rampant.”
The survivor received support from many actors - Mohanlal, Mammootty, and several from Bollywood.
As per the BBC, the six convicted men will be sentenced on 12 December. The survivor still has the option of challenging Dileep’s acquittal in the High Court.
FAQs
1. What was the 2017 case about?
An actress was abducted and assaulted in a vehicle between Thrissur and Kochi.
2. Was Dileep convicted?
No, the court acquitted him while convicting six others.
