Hotel records reveal Nivin Pauly was in Kochi, not Dubai, on date of alleged assault

Kochi: In a significant development regarding the sexual assault allegations against actor Nivin Pauly, it has been confirmed that the actor was in Kochi on the date of the alleged incident, December 15, 2023.

The complainant had earlier accused Pauly of sexually assaulting her at a Dubai hotel on that day. However, a hotel bill revealing Pauly's stay at the Crowne Plaza, Kochi, from 2:30 p.m. on December 14 to 4:30 p.m. on December 15, 2023, contradicts these claims. 

Nivin Pauly has publicly denied the allegations in response to the ongoing police investigation. 

Additionally, director and actor Vineeth Sreenivasan has supported Pauly, confirming that he was with him during the alleged incident. Vineeth stated that Pauly was on the set of the film 'Varshangalkku Shesham', which was being filmed at Ernakulam's Nucleus Mall, Kochi, until 3 a.m. on December 15. Following the shoot, Pauly continued working on the web series 'Pharma', also set in Kerala.

The Case

Pauly and five others have been charged by Kerala Police for gang rape and related crimes.

The survivor's statement was recorded by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the sexual harassment allegations against several influential men in the Malayalam film industry, following the release of a redacted version of the Hema Committee report.

The case was registered at Oonnukal police station in Ernakulam based on the survivor's statement to the SIT.

The First Information Report was filed under IPC Sections 354 (assault or use of criminal force against a woman), 376D (gang rape), 354C (voyeurism), 450 (trespass), 342 (wrongful confinement), 376(2)(n) (repeated rape of the same woman), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention).

Pauly was named as the sixth accused in the case, with Shreya, film producer AK Sunil, Binu, Basheer, and Kuttan identified as the first five accused.The complainant alleged that the accused had promised her a role in a film.