Actress assault case: Kerala govt opposes Pulsar Suni's bail; cites risk of visuals being leaked

Kochi: The Kerala government reserved its order on a plea by first accused Pulsar Suni seeking suspension of his sentence and bail in the 2017 actress assault case. The state government and the actress opposed the application, arguing that the gravity of the offence and the ongoing investigation warranted his continued imprisonment.

They also stated that granting bail could risk the circulation of the visuals allegedly recorded during the assault on the actress. It argued that the crime was serious and that the accused should not be released.The actress also opposed the plea, saying the offence was heinous.

Pulsar Suni argued that he has spent eight years, four months and 17 days in prison, including the period during the trial. He asked the court to suspend his sentence while his appeal against the trial court's verdict is pending.

A Division Bench comprising Justice V Raja Vijayaraghavan and Justice KV Jayakumar heard arguments from both sides and reserved its order on the interim plea. The application was considered along with Suni's appeal against the trial court's judgment.

Senior advocate Ajith Kumar, appearing for Suni, argued that his client's prolonged imprisonment justified suspension of the sentence and release on bail.

Opposing the plea, Special Public Prosecutor V Ajakumar told the court that the mobile phone allegedly used to record the visuals has not yet been recovered. He said further investigation is still underway and added that the prosecution has filed an appeal seeking enhancement of the sentence.

Appearing for the actress, Supreme Court advocate Vrinda Grover argued that a lengthy period in prison alone should not be grounds for granting bail.

She also informed the court that the actress intends to challenge the trial court's judgment by filing a separate appeal.

Background of the case

The case stems from the alleged abduction and sexual assault of a prominent Malayalam actress on February 17, 2017, while she was travelling from Thrissur to Kochi.

According to the prosecution, Pulsar Suni led the gang that intercepted her vehicle, forced its way inside, assaulted her and recorded compromising visuals. The actress's driver, Martin Antony, was later arrested and named as part of the alleged conspiracy.

The investigation later led to the arrest of several accused, including actor Dileep, who was named as the eighth accused in July 2017 after investigators examined a letter allegedly written by Suni from prison. The prosecution has alleged that Dileep had financial links with Suni and that Suni had previously worked as actress Kavya Madhavan's driver.

Suni remained in judicial custody for more than seven years, with multiple bail pleas rejected before the Supreme Court granted him bail in September 2024, citing delays in the trial. Earlier this year, a trial court sentenced Suni and five others to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment in the case.