Kerala Actor Dileep Acquitted in High-Profile Sexual Assault Case: Examining the 9-Year Legal Battle and Its Impact on Malayalam Cinema

Dec 08, 2025 06:37 pm CST

After a nearly nine-year legal battle, actor Dileep has been acquitted in the 2017 case involving the abduction and sexual assault of a prominent Malayalam actress. While six defendants were convicted, the court cleared Dileep of orchestrating the crime. The case has highlighted gender inequality in Kerala's film industry and led to significant reforms, including the formation of the Women in Cinema Collective and the establishment of the Justice Hema Committee to improve working conditions for women in cinema.