In a major development in the 2017 Kochi actress assault case, the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court has sentenced all six accused—Pulsar Suni, Martin Antony, B. Manikandan, Vijeesh V.P., Vadival Salim, and Pradeep—to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment, along with a fine of ₹50,000 each. The court described the incident as a sensational and grave crime, noting that the punishment reflects both the seriousness of the offence and the age factors of the convicts. The case, which involved the abduction and assault of a young actress inside a moving vehicle on February 17, 2017, also included charges of gang rape, unlawful confinement, privacy violation, filming and circulating explicit visuals, and criminal conspiracy. Emotional scenes unfolded in court as some of the accused pleaded for leniency, but the prosecution firmly argued for maximum punishment. The verdict brings an end to an eight-year-long legal battle at the trial court stage. Actor Dileep, accused of masterminding the attack, was acquitted earlier after the court held that criminal conspiracy could not be proven.
