Two days ago, the cover of a regional women’s magazine was the cynosure of all eyes. But for the wrong reasons. Hailed as one of the popular women’s magazines in Kerala, its cover picture carried the photograph of a family — a man in a splashy blue kurta leaning over his wife and two daughters. It shuddered the collective consciousness of social media.
Here was a magazine that had the tagline “women’s guide and friend,” and they had featured actor Dileep, who has been accused of masterminding the sexual assault of a female actor, on the cover. What a cruel irony that was!
The last few months, however, had been a clear indicator that Dileep was on a PR exercise to cover up his mucky image. Several newspapers and online publications portrayed him as a family man on festival days, published his various acts of "kindness," and then came this magazine cover. It does look like the actor was meticulously plotting to manipulate the public sympathy, in the hope that their short-term memory loss will work in his favour.
A week after Dileep, who is the eighth accused in the sexual assault case of a female actor, withdrew his discharge petition in the Supreme court, a fresh set of allegations cropped up. This time, it was from a man who introduced himself as the "actor’s close friend." And he made several shocking 'disclosures.'
When did the case start?
In 2017, the female actor was abducted and sexually assaulted in a moving car by a gang of criminals. She was returning after a film shoot in Kochi. There were 10 accused in the case. They filmed the entire incident, and allegedly threatened to release the video if she approached the police. The visibly devastated actor however filed a police complaint. Six months later, Dileep was arrested for allegedly planning the assault. Since then, the case has witnessed several twists and turns. It was alleged that the actor was trying his best to delay the trial by filing needless pleas in separate courts. In November last year, the Supreme Court gave a six-month deadline to the special court to complete the case.
Meanwhile, Dileep's friend Balachandra Kumar has now alleged that he had seen the prime accused Pulsar Suni a day after the actor’s housewarming ceremony in Aluva on December 2016. He also said that Dileep had asked him not to reveal this information to anyone. Balachandra Kumar also claimed that the sexual assault video was at the actor's residence. This was soon after his release from jail, on 15 November, 2017. According to him, Dileep's family members and an unnamed VIP were also present. The actor apparently invited everyone to watch “Pulsar Suni’s cruelties,” and even took the video to a famous film studio to enhance its audio quality. He said there were other audio clips, apparently recorded in the presence of the actor, in which Dileep spoke about "exacting revenge against the five officers who nabbed him."
Following these revelations came a letter written by Pulsar Suni in 2018, which was handed over to his mother. Suni apparently told her to uncover it to the media as he feared for his life. In the letter, he allegedly claimed that he had committed this crime for Dileep and mentioned the involvement of a few others in the industry. He also hinted about the actor’s involvement with sex rackets in Malayalam cinema, and that the foreign shows were organised for this purpose at times. He also alleged that Dileep had bought all witnesses, accused, and lawyers in the case.
The case is set to be reexamined in the coming days
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) is likely to question Dileep after consulting a legal team over technical impediments, if any, in interrogating the accused and witnesses in this case.
Dileep meanwhile has claimed that DYSP Baiju Paulose, who is on the investigation team, had a hand in Balachandrakumar’s exposés. Not only had he requested the DGP to remove Paulose from the team but also requested the court to investigate Paulose’ travel itinerary, phone calls following the case. It is said that Baiju Paulose was the one who first found out the actor’s involvement in the case.
In another twist, a prosecution witness involved in the case has apparently informed the probe team, through a close friend, that he was ready to tell the truth. Some witnesses were allegedly threatened to flee the country. Actors like Siddique, Idavela Babu, Bindu Panicker, and Bhama turned hostile witnesses in court. They had earlier given statements against Dileep to the cops.
The new team will be headed by ADGP Sreejith, and Crime Branch IG KP Philp is also in the team. The investigating team has produced Balachandra Kumar’s statements in a sealed envelope. An application has also been filed in the court to record his secret statement.
Meanwhile, V N Anil Kumar, the Special Public Prosecutor appearing for the survivor, resigned on 29 December. He is the second prosecutor to quit after former SPP A Suresan, who claimed to have been disappointed with the proceedings and Judge Honey Varghese’s 'bias towards the accused.' On 27 December, the prosecution had approached the Kerala High Court against an order by Judge Honey Varghese negating the re-investigation of certain witnesses.
As the case gets murkier, the survivor has written to the chief minister of Kerala and State Police Chief Anil Kant, requesting them to take the necessary steps to make sure justice is delivered. She also expressed concern over the delay in trial, and for the appointment of a new prosecutor.
Women in Cinema Collective
Meanwhile, the Women in Cinema Collective, which was formed soon after this harrowing incident for the welfare of women in Malayalam cinema, urged the law-and-order machinery and mainstream media to “give these developments adequate attention.”
They also came forward and reminded the government about the delay in the Hema Committee report. Headed by retired justice K Hema, veteran actor Sharada, and former bureaucrat KB Valsalakumar, this report comprehensively recorded the issues faced by women in the Malayalam cinema. This was handed over to the Government in December 2019 and was taken as a step towards bringing gender impartiality in the film industry. But since then, the report has been kept confidential, and out of the public domain. “The reason why the Hema Commission report was not released is not that the names of the respondents are in it, they want to protect the names of those who were mentioned. I know, I fear for my life,” said actor Parvathy Thiruvothu to a television channel.
Latest development
Currently, an FIR has been registered by the CBI against the actor for plotting to kill the investigative officer and four others. It was apparently revealed in the audio clip submitted by Balachandra Kumar, where the actor’s brother-in-law Suraj, was allegedly conspiring to kill Deputy Superintendent Baiju Paulose. The new FIR is against the actor, Suraj, Dileep’s brother Anoop, a VIP, and two others. Based on the complaint, the Kerala Crime Branch has booked Dileep and his alleged associates under IPC Sections116 (abetment), 118 (concealing design to commit offense), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 34 (criminal act done by several people).
The survivor on Monday shared a note on Instagram in which she spoke about her “journey from being a victim to a survivor, and how her name and identity have been suppressed under the weight of the assault inflicted on her for the last five years.” In that note, which was widely shared on social media, she said, “Though I am not the one who has committed the crime, there have been many attempts to humiliate, silence, and isolate me. But at such times, I have had some who stepped forward to keep my voice alive. Now, when I hear so many voices speak up for me, I know that I am not alone in this fight for justice. To see justice, prevail, to get wrongdoers punished, and to ensure no one else goes through such an ordeal again, I shall continue this journey. For all those who are standing with me — a heartful thank you for your love.”
Though a lot of actors expressed their solidarity for the actor, somewhere close to midnight, Malayalam superstars Mammootty and Mohanlal, who had always maintained a stoic and uncomfortable silence since the trial, shared her post offering their support. As the president of AMMA, Mohanlal had even tried a painful balancing act, declaring his solidarity for Dileep and sympathy for the survivor in 2018. Though a few of their fans lapped it up, the majority were amused by this late show of support. Does that mean the Malayalam film industry has finally attained a moral conscience? Or this has got to do with the knowledge that the Hema Committee report might never see the light of the day?
Neelima Menon has worked in the newspaper industry for more than a decade. She runs an exclusive Malayalam movie portal called fullpicture.in. She is known for her detailed and insightful features on misogyny, and the lack of representation of women in Malayalam cinema.
source https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/malayalam-actress-assault-case-survivor-speaks-out-after-accused-dileeps-magazine-cover-all-you-need-to-know-10275341.html
