After 7.5 years of incarceration, the prime accused in the Kerala actor assault case was granted bail by the Supreme Court on Tuesday, September 17. Pulsar Suni was arrested on February 23, 2017. The bench of justices Abhay S Oka and Pankaj Mithal also ordered that he must be produced before the trial court within one week for his release.
This is Suni’s third bail application before the top court. Earlier, he had filed 10 bail applications before the Kerala High Court.
“Considering long incarceration and that the trial is not likely to be concluded [soon], a case is made out for enlarging appellant on bail. Appellant to be produced before the trial court within a week for grant of bail, State can argue for stringent conditions,” the bench said, while granting bail.
The Supreme Court had sought the Kerala government’s position on the bail plea. The state, while opposing Suni’s bail, had pointed out that if he was let out on bail, he could possibly hamper the trial or abscond the legal process. “It is quite definite that such a person will make all efforts possible to torpedo the trial process either by absconding from the legal process or by threatening the privacy of victim by publishing the visuals of sexual assault on victim. If the accused is released on bail, that will cause serious prejudice especially when the trial is nearing to conclude shortly,” it added.
The state also pointed out that the delay was being caused by Dileep. In an affidavit, the Kerala government said Dileep and his lawyers have delayed the trial through lengthy cross-examinations of the accused and witnesses in the case.
In June 2024, the HC had imposed Rs 25,000 as fine for him filing his 10th bail application and dismissed it. Following this, Suni approached the top court.
The survivor, who has acted in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films, was abducted and allegedly sexually assaulted in her car on the night of February 17, 2017. The entire act was filmed by the accused to blackmail the actor. There are 10 accused in the 2017 case, which is alleged to have been masterminded by actor Dileep.
