'Her fight has unleashed many tumultuous journeys for women in cinema, the Malayalam film industry and the state of Kerala.'
Actor Dileep on Monday expressed profound gratitude to his family, supporters and legal team after a trial court in Kerala's Ernakulam acquitted him of all charges in the 2017 sexual assault case.
'I wholeheartedly thank all my family members who stood with me today, my friends and their families, and the countless people, lakhs of people whom I have never seen or heard who prayed for me. I express my sincere gratitude to each one of them,' he said.
Dileep also thanked his legal team, acknowledging their efforts throughout the case.
'I also thank my beloved lawyers who defended me day and night with complete sincerity for the past nine years.
'Everyone knows Raman Pillai sir, I owe him my life, and I thank him with all my heart.
'Along with him, Sujesh Menon, my college mate and senior Philip T Varghese and his associates, Shubha, Nithya and other juniors, I extend my gratitude to all of them.
'I also thank Mukul Rohatgi sir and Ranjitha Rohatgi and the other lawyers at the Supreme Court."
'There are so many people from different walks of life who supported me throughout these nine years, it is impossible to name them all individually, but I express my sincere gratitude to each one of them at this moment,' the actor said.
He also thanked his college mates and 'countless of people' who have stood by me and prayed for him.
'First and foremost, I thank the Almighty. Truth has won.'
He alleged that there was a 'criminal conspiracy' to frame him and spread a false media narrative against him.
'There is a criminal conspiracy in this case.
'The conspiracy against me began the moment when Manju (Manju Warrier, movie star and his first wife) stated that the criminal conspiracy behind the incident must be investigated.
'A senior officer at that time, along with a team of criminal-minded police personnel chosen by him, orchestrated this action against me.
'For this purpose, they supported the main accused in the case and the co-accused who were lodged in prison with him, and together this police team created a fabricated story,' the actor said.
'Then, with the help of certain media organisations and a few journalists who were ready to support them, this fabricated narrative was widely circulated through social media.
'Today, in court, this fake story created by that police team has collapsed.
'The real conspiracy in this case was to make me the accused, to destroy my career, my image, and my life in society,' Dileep added.
Ernakulam Principal Sessions Judge Honey M Varghese acquitted Dileep of the offences charged against him in the case after the trial that lasted around eight years.
Dileep was the eighth accused in the case.
The court found the accused from no. 1 to no. 6 guilty and will pronounce punishment for those found guilty on December 12.
The accused in the case were the first accused, N S Sunil, widely known as 'Pulsar Suni', alleged to have orchestrated the abduction and assault of the actress.
The second accused, Martin Antony, third accused B Manikandan, fourth accused V P Vijeesh, fifth accused H Salim alias Vadiwal Salim, sixth accused Pradeep, seventh accused Charly Thomas, ninth accused Sanilkumar, alias Mesthri Sanil, and the fifteenth accused, G Sarath.
The case pertains to an actress who worked in Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu films and was allegedly abducted and molested inside her car by a group of men who had forced their way into the vehicle on the night of February 17, 2017.
The trial, which began on March 8, 2018, has been lengthy and complex.
A total of 261 witnesses were examined, many in camera, including several prominent film personalities, with 28 witnesses turning hostile.
Over the years, two special prosecutors stepped down, and the survivor's request to replace the presiding judge was denied.
The prosecution submitted 833 documents and 142 material objects, while the defence produced 221 documents. Witness examination alone spanned 438 days.
'Justice what?'
Actor and filmmaker Parvathy Thiruvothu on Monday took to social media to post her feelings after a Kerala trial court acquitted actor Dileep in the 2017 sexual assault case.
'We watch a carefully crafted screenplay unfold so cruelly now,' Parvathy, a founding member of the Women in Cinema Collective, said in a post on her Instagram.
'Justice what?' she asked in her Instagram post after the Ernakulam principal sessions court delivered the verdict.
The Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) said in a statement that it respects the court's verdict.
'Let the law move in the path of justice. We respect the court,' it said.
Meanwhile, several actors from the Malayalam film industry, including Rima Kallingal and Remya Nambeesan, took to social media to share the campaign tagline 'Avalkoppam' (We stand with her), which was first released by the WCC after the assault that took place in February 2017.
'Always. More stronger than ever now,' Rima took to her Instagram to post.
The WCC itself was formed in November 2017 and aims towards building a safe, non-discriminatory and professional workspace for women in cinema through advocacy and policy change.
In a note shared on social media ahead of the verdict, WCC noted, 'This has not been an easy journey. The journey of being a victim to becoming a survivor.
3215 days of waiting for justice."
'Her fight has unleashed many tumultuous journeys for women in cinema, the Malayalam film industry and the state of Kerala.
'The impact has rippled through our collective conscience and voices have risen for change,' the note read.
'Much has to be said for the courage and resilience she has shown through it all, while upholding her faith in the system', it read.
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff
Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff