Kochi: Breaking her silence after the sentencing of six convicts in the 2017 actress assault case, the survivor on Sunday shared a deeply emotional statement, saying the verdict marked “a small ray of light” after nearly nine years of pain, while also expressing serious concerns over the conduct of the trial court and the handling of evidence.

In a post on social media, the survivor said, “After 8 years, 9 months, and 23 days, I finally saw 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 dedicated the moment to those who questioned her testimony, stating, “This moment is dedicated to those who chose to call my pain a lie and this case a made-up story. I hope you are at peace with yourselves today!!”

Addressing what she described as misinformation surrounding the case, the survivor categorically rejected claims about the first accused. “And to those who still keep saying that Accused No.1 was my personal driver, this is completely false!! He was not my driver, not my employee, and not someone I knew. He was a random person who happened to be assigned as a driver for a movie I worked on in 2016!! Ironically, I met him only once or twice during that time, and never again, until the day this crime happened!!
Please stop spreading false stories!!” she said.

While the conviction did not surprise her, the survivor said she had sensed issues in the trial process years earlier. “This verdict may surprise many people, but it did not surprise me. As early as 2020, I began to feel that something was not right. Even the prosecution noticed changes in the way the case was being handled, especially when it came to one particular accused,” she said.

She revealed that she had repeatedly approached higher courts expressing her lack of faith in the trial court. “Over the years, I approached the High Court and the Supreme Court multiple times, clearly stating that I did not trust this court. Every request to move this case away from the same judge was dismissed,” she said, adding that she would share further details subsequently.

Reflecting on the prolonged legal battle, the survivor said, “After years of pain, tears, and emotional struggle, I have come to a painful realisation: ‘NOT EVERY CITIZEN IN THIS COUNTRY IS TREATED EQUALLY BEFORE THE LAW’.”

She further stated that the verdict reinforced her belief in how individual judgment could influence outcomes. “At the end of the day, this verdict made me realise how strongly human judgment can shape decisions. I also know that every court does not function in the same way!”

Thanking those who stood by her, she said, “My heartfelt thanks to everyone who stood by me throughout this long journey!! And to those who continue to attack me with abusive comments and paid narratives, you are free to continue doing what you are paid to do!!”

Listing reasons for losing faith in the trial court, the survivor said her fundamental rights were not protected and pointed to serious lapses in evidence handling. She stated that the memory card, considered a key piece of evidence, was found to have been “illegally accessed three times while it was in court custody”.

She also noted that two public prosecutors resigned from the case, citing hostility. “Two public prosecutors resigned from this case, stating clearly that the court environment had become hostile towards the prosecution. Both of them personally told me not to expect justice from this court, as they felt it was biased,” she said.

Despite repeatedly seeking an investigation into the alleged tampering of evidence, she said the report was not shared with her for a long time. She further raised concerns after the accused filed a petition requesting that the same judge continue to hear the case, which she said deepened her doubts.

The survivor also disclosed that she wrote to the President of India and the Prime Minister seeking intervention and requested that the proceedings be held in open court. “I requested the court to conduct the proceedings in an open court, so that the public and media could be present and see for themselves what was happening. This request was denied,” she said.

On Friday, the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court sentenced all six convicts to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment in the case. Justice Honey M Varghese found them guilty under Section 366 (kidnapping with intent to rape), Section 120B (criminal conspiracy) and Section 376D (gang rape) of the Indian Penal Code.

Each of the convicts was also fined Rs 50,000, with a default sentence of one year’s imprisonment. The first accused, Pulsar Suni, was awarded an additional five-year sentence under the IT Act, though the court clarified that all sentences would run concurrently.

The court also directed that a copy of the pen drive containing the visuals be kept in safe custody by investigating officer Baiju Paulose.

Earlier, the Sessions Court had acquitted Malayalam actor Dileep, the eighth accused in the case.

The case relates to the abduction and sexual assault of an actress who has worked in Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu films. She was allegedly kidnapped and molested inside her car on the night of February 17, 2017, by a group of men who forced their way into the vehicle.