Inside the life of Pulsar Suni, convict in the 2017 Kerala assault case

Pulsar Suni, who was sentenced on Friday to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment in the 2017 actress assault case in Kerala, is known by several names. Sunikuttan, among film enthusiasts, Suni to those close to him, and Pulsar Suni to the wider public, he has carried many identities throughout his criminal past.

His history of theft and violence, and the carefully crafted persona he displayed on film sets, all form part of the long and troubling trail that led to his conviction.

Who is Pulsar Suni?

Suni, whose full name is Sunil N.S., is widely known for his obsession with Pulsar bikes. The moniker Pulsar Suni has its own backstory, rooted in his criminal activities. Suni, who had a strong liking for Bajaj Pulsar bikes from a young age, stole several Pulsar models. He also relied on the same bike while carrying out other thefts. This eventually earned him the name Pulsar Suni, which became a quick point of identification even for the police.

His father once said that Suni first received the name Pulsar Suni after stealing a Pulsar bike while in the tenth standard. Suni, who had stayed away from home from a young age, is believed to have skipped even his sister’s wedding. During his teenage years, he faced accusations in several cases involving intoxication, theft, robbery, kidnapping, quotation work and extortion. His name is also listed in the rowdy sheet of the Kodanad police station. But even then, many believed Suni was a gentle driver on film sets. Yet Suni, who had taken a quotation to attack an actress, maintained this gentle demeanour deliberately so he could enter film sets without drawing attention.

Suni is the son of Surendran and Shobhana, who live near Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district. Despite his criminal activities, he worked as a driver for many well-known individuals, including actor Mukesh. Mukesh told the court that he dismissed Suni after learning he was involved in trouble.

What happened in 2017

The actress needed to travel from her home in Thrissur to Ernakulam for post-production work on a film. Production controller Manoj Karanthur assigned Martin the responsibility of bringing her. Pulsar Suni, who had been planning to attack the actress for months, decided this was his chance. He joined hands with Martin and plotted the attack. Martin then drove the actress to Ernakulam in a car.

A traveller rammed into the rear of the car carrying the actress at Athani near Angamaly. Soon after, a group led by Pulsar Suni, who arrived in the traveller, abducted the actress. The group drove around Kochi for nearly two hours. During this time, they assaulted her and recorded the visuals. After the attack, the actress was taken to the home of actor and director Lal. The incident surfaced when she narrated the ordeal to Lal in full. With support from producer Anto Joseph, P.T. Thomas and Lal, she lodged a police complaint. This eventually reached actor Dileep and grew into a case that shook Kerala.

Reports stated that Suni had attempted to attack the actress on several earlier occasions. He tried to become her driver at many shooting locations but failed. While the actress travelled abroad for film shoots, Suni again tried to harm her, including during a trip to Goa. 

Within hours, Martin Antony was arrested. Vadival Salim and Pradeep were taken into custody on February 19, followed by Manikandan the next day. Pulsar Suni was dramatically arrested on February 23 after arriving on a motorbike to surrender in court.

Suni later became the first accused in the case. The investigation eventually added actor Dileep as the eighth accused, alleging his involvement in the conspiracy. The court recently acquitted Dileep. Police found clues through a letter written by Suni from prison. Dileep was questioned on June 28, 2017 and arrested on July 10.

The prosecution later claimed that Dileep had sent Suni ₹1,00,000 in 2015, and photos of them together emerged during the inquiry. Investigators also reported that Suni had worked as Kavya Madhavan’s driver.

The bail battle

Since his arrest in February 2017, Suni has remained in judicial custody for more than seven years. While the other accused received bail at different stages, Suni’s applications were denied repeatedly, ten times by the High Court and several times by the Supreme Court. The Kerala High Court imposed a fine of ₹25,000 after rejecting his tenth bail plea, noting that he filed fresh applications soon after each rejection.

In September 2024, the Supreme Court finally granted him bail, referring to the prolonged delay in completing the trial.

Eight years after the incident, Pulsar Suni, along with five accomplices already convicted, received 20 years of rigorous imprisonment.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on each, stating that failure to pay the fine would result in additional imprisonment.