Thiruvananthapuram: Days after the verdict in the 2017 actress sexual assault case, the victim broke her silence, issuing her first public reaction after the verdict, saying “I did not trust this court.”
Earlier this week, the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court sentenced the six convicts to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment.
In a detailed social media post, she recalled her almost nine-year-long legal battle, saying, “After 8 years, 9 months and 23 days, I finally see 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 added, “This moment is dedicated to those who called my pain a lie and this matter a fabrication. I hope you are at peace today!! And to those who still keep saying that accused no. 1 was my personal driver, it is a complete lie!!”
Clarifying the alleged lie, the victim said that accused number 1 was not a personal driver or employee but a random driver assigned to her for a 2016 film.
“He was not my driver, not my employee, and not someone I knew. He was a random person who was hired as a driver for a film I worked on in 2016!! The irony is that I had met him only once or twice during that time, and never again, the day this crime took place!!
Also read: Actor Dileep acquitted in 2017 assault case, thanks family, supporters and legal team
Please stop spreading false stories!!” the victim wrote on her Instagram handle.
Pointing out inconsistencies in the handling of the case since 2020, the actress wrote, “This verdict may surprise many, but it did not surprise me. It was early in 2020 that I started feeling something was not right. Even the prosecution noticed a change in the way the case was handled, especially when it came to a particular accused.”
In the statement posted on her Instagram handle, the victim described her long, emotional struggle, repeated failed attempts to change judges and the ultimate realization that “not every citizen is treated equally before the law in this country.”
The actress wrote, “Over the years, I have approached the High Court and the Supreme Court several times, and clearly stated that I do not trust this court. Every request to take the case away from the same judge was rejected. After years of pain, tears and emotional struggle, I have come to a painful realization: ‘Every citizen in this country is not treated equally before the law.’
She further expressed her gratitude to those who supported her throughout the legal process, “Finally, this verdict made me realize how strongly human judgment can shape decisions. I also know that not every court works the same way! My heartfelt thanks to everyone who has stood by me during this long journey!!”
The actress also highlighted the reasons for losing faith in the trial court. He outlined the alleged important issues related to the judicial process.
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“These are the reasons why I lost confidence in this trial court. My fundamental rights were not protected. The most important evidence in this case – the memory card – was found to have been illegally accessed three times while I was in the court’s custody,” he alleged in a statement on his Instagram.
“Two government prosecutors resigned from the case, saying that the atmosphere of the court had become hostile to the prosecution. Both of them personally told me not to expect justice from this court, because they felt it was biased.”
“I repeatedly requested a proper investigation into the tampering of the memory card. However, the investigation report was not given to me until I repeatedly asked. While I was fighting for a fair trial, the accused filed a petition requesting that the same judge continue to hear the case. This created even more serious doubts in my mind.”
“I also wrote letters to the Honorable President of India and the Honorable Prime Minister of India, expressing my concern and seeking their intervention”
The actress said, “I requested the court to conduct the proceedings in open court, so that the public and the media could be present and see for themselves what was happening. This request was rejected.”
The case pertains to an actress working in Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu films who was allegedly kidnapped and forcefully molested inside her car by a group of men on the night of February 17, 2017.
The judgment delivered by Justice Honey M Varghese found the accused guilty of kidnapping with intent to rape (Indian Penal Code section 366), criminal conspiracy (IPC 120B) and gang rape (IPC 376D).
A fine of Rs 50,000 has also been imposed on each convict and failure to pay will result in additional imprisonment of one year.
The sessions court had earlier acquitted Malayalam actor and eighth accused Dileep in the 2017 case.