Kerala actor rape case: State govt to appeal verdict acquitting Dileep

The Kerala government will file an appeal against the verdict of the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court in the actor rape and abduction case, Law Minister P. Rajeeve has said.

Speaking to reporters in the wake of the verdict that acquitted Dileep, the eighth accused in the case, on Monday, Mr. Rajeeve said he had already spoken to the Chief Minister and that the government had decided to appeal against the verdict. The prosecution has been directed to take the initial steps in this regard.

Kerala actor rape case: LIVE updates

Though the crime has been proved, it needs to be analysed why the conspiracy behind it could not be established, which requires a detailed study of the verdict. In an unprecedented move, the prosecution had prepared a 1,512‑page argument note running into five volumes detailing the arguments and evidence presented at various stages of the case. However, the verdict appears not to match that note or the foolproof investigation, he said.

“The State government has always stood with the survivor, and we are confident she is aware of that. The investigation team and the prosecution were given full freedom, and the survivor was taken into confidence throughout. The Director General of Prosecution also intervened at the appropriate time,” said Mr. Rajeeve.

Dismisses Dileep’s accusation

He dismissed Dileep’s accusation that a gang of criminal police officers was behind the case, calling it “the rant of any acquitted accused.”

The important thing to note, he said, is that the government handled the case with “the seriousness it deserved.”

He added that “the level of due diligence in investigation and prosecution maintained would not have been possible if Pinarayi Vijayan had not been the Chief Minister and the Left Democratic Front had not been in power.”

The police investigated the case diligently, and the prosecution, Mr. Rajeeve said, was confident of having presented its case forcefully in court.