Kerala Assault Survivor's First Post After Dileep's Acquittal: My Fundamental Rights Were Not Protected

Nearly a week after a Kerala court acquitted four, including Malayalam movie star Dileep, and convicted six accused in the 2017 Kerala actress assault case, the survivor, on Sunday (December 14), finally shared her first statement, where she said that her fundamental rights were not protected during the trial.

Kerala assault survivor issues first statement after Dileep's acquittal

In a nine-page signed post in both English and Malayalam on her Instagram handle, the survivor wrote she was grateful the six accused had been convicted, but was disappointed, realising that “not every citizen in this country is treated equally before the law”.

“I didn’t trust this court,” the survivor wrote.

Reflecting on her nearly nine years of legal battle, she wrote, “After 8 years, 9 months, and 23 days, I finally saw a small ray of light at the end of a very long and painful journey. Six of the accused have been convicted, and for that, I am GRATEFUL!!”

She further wrote, “This moment is dedicated to those who chose to call my pain a lie and this case a made-up story. I hope you are at peace with yourselves today!! And to those who still keep saying that Accused No. 1 was my personal driver, this is completely false!!”

Further clarifying the misinformation, she wrote that accused No. 1 was neither her personal driver nor her employee, but a random driver assigned to her for a movie she worked on in 2016.

“Ironically, I met him only once or twice during that time, and never again until the day this crime happened!! Please stop spreading false stories!!,” the survivor stated.

Survivor claimed she made multiple pleas to Kerala High Court and the Supreme Court

She said the verdict didn't surprise her. “As early as 2020, I began to feel that something was not right. Even the prosecution noticed changes in the way the case was being handled, especially when it came to one particular accused (sic),” the survivor wrote in the post.

She further alleged, “Over the years, I approached the High Court and the Supreme Court multiple times, clearly stating that I did not trust this court. Every request to move this case away from the same judge was dismissed. I will share those details in the next slide. After years of pain, tears, and emotional struggle, I have come to a painful realisation: 'NOT EVERY CITIZEN IN THIS COUNTRY IS TREATED EQUALLY BEFORE THE LAW'...(sic).”

Lost faith in the trial court

Citing the reason why she lost faith in the trial court, the survivor claimed that her fundamental rights were not protected, the important evidence in the case, "the memory card, was found to have been illegally accessed three times while it was in court custody. Two public prosecutors resigned from this case, stating clearly that the court environment had become hostile towards the prosecution. Both of them personally told me not to expect justice from this court, as they felt it was biased."

She further claimed she "repeatedly requested a proper investigation into the tampering of the memory card", but the investigation report was never given to her. "While I was fighting for a fair trial, the accused filed a petition requesting that this same judge continue to hear the case. This raised even more serious doubts in my mind," the actor added.

The survivor concluded her post by saying that she had even written letters to the President of India and the Prime Minister, expressing her concerns and seeking intervention. "I requested the court to conduct the proceedings in an open court, so that the public and media could be present and see for themselves what was happening. This request was denied," she ended her statement.

Have a look at the post here.

The Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court acquitted Dileep on December 8, 2025, as the prosecution failed to prove the actor's involvement in the criminal conspiracy in the 2017 Kerala actress assault case. Within days of his acquittal, the Malayalam actor was reinstated as a member of the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA). His upcoming film, Bha Bha Ba, is slated to hit the screens on December 18.