Hostile Witnesses in Actress Assault Case: As the Kerala actor assault case reaches a crucial moment with the trial court set to pronounce its verdict on December 8, attention has once again turned to one of the most striking aspects of the eight-year-long proceedings: the large number of prosecution witnesses who turned hostile during the trial.
According to a special report by The News Minute, as many as 28 witnesses changed their versions in court, significantly affecting the trajectory of the case.
The case, which sent shockwaves through the Malayalam film industry after actor Dileep was arrested and later spent 85 days in judicial custody, revolves around the abduction and sexual assault of a fellow actor in 2017. While Pulsar Suni is the prime accused, Dileep is named the eighth accused, with the prosecution alleging that he was the mastermind behind the crime.
Investigators had initially built their case on a series of statements that pointed to an alleged conspiracy and motive. These included testimonies from film personalities, hospital staff, hotel employees, and persons closely associated with Dileep and his wife, actor Kavya Madhavan. However, during the trial, many of these witnesses retracted their earlier statements, either denying knowledge of key events or claiming that their police statements were inaccurate.
According to the report by The News Minute, among the most prominent hostile witnesses were actors Edavela Babu, Bindu Panicker, Bhama, and Siddique, all of whom had earlier provided statements that allegedly supported the prosecution’s claims regarding Dileep’s alleged animosity towards the survivor. Members of Kavya Madhavan’s family, including her parents, her brother Mithun, and sister-in-law Riya, also turned hostile, as did several of Dileep’s close associates.
Medical witnesses were also among those who turned hostile. As per the TNM report, Dr. Hyder Ali and his brother Salim of Anwar Memorial Hospital in Aluva were cited by the prosecution in connection with hospital records produced by Dileep to show that he was hospitalized on the night of February 17, 2017, though the prosecution’s case was never that he was present during the kidnapping. The police later found these records to be false, and a nurse testified in court that the documents had been forged to show the actor’s admission. However, both Hyder Ali and Salim denied any role and were declared hostile during the trial.
Hotel staff, including Shirley Ajith of the Arcadia Hotel in Alappuzha, who had earlier stated that Pulsar Suni was present at the same hotel as Dileep during a film shoot, also withdrew their earlier statements.
Sagar Vincent, who was working at Kavya Madhavan’s clothing store Laksyah at the time, was among the first witnesses to later retract his earlier statement. He had initially told investigators that Pulsar Suni visited the store with another person on February 22, shortly after the crime, and handed over a package. When the case came up for trial, however, Sagar withdrew this version and was declared hostile. Subsequently, following the circulation of an audio clip alleging that he was induced to alter his statement, Sagar moved the court and admitted that his earlier deposition was false. He was later removed from the list of hostile witnesses.
As reported by The News Minute, the prosecution’s case saw setbacks when production manager Shine, producer Ranjith, and several others denied earlier versions related to meetings, movements, and logistical details that were considered important for establishing the alleged conspiracy.
List Of Hostile Witnesses
Below is the complete list of the 28 witnesses who were declared hostile during the trial, as reported by Mediaone Online:
Edavela Babu – Actor
Bindu Panicker – Actor
Dr. Hyder Ali – Doctor, Anwar Memorial Hospital
Salim – Brother of Dr. Hyder Ali
Bhama – Actor
Siddique – Actor
Shine – Production manager
Ruby Vishnu
Riya – Wife of Kavya Madhavan’s brother
Mithun – Kavya Madhavan’s brother
Sabita
Sagar Vincent – Former Laksyah employee
Ranjith – Producer
Sunir – Kavya Madhavan’s driver
Suraj – Dileep’s brother-in-law
Shirley Ajith – Hotel staff
Kavya Madhavan – Actor
Nadirsha – Dileep’s friend
Anoop – Dileep’s brother
Appunni
Usha
Nilish
Dasan – Security personnel at Dileep’s residence
Ullas Babu – BJP leader from Thrissur
Baiju
IG Dineshan
Shyamala – Kavya Madhavan’s mother
Madhavan – Kavya Madhavan’s father
The widespread hostility of witnesses has remained a central challenge for the prosecution, and with the verdict scheduled for tomorrow, the remaining forensic and documentary evidence takes on heightened significance. After years of investigation, reversals, and legal scrutiny, the case now reaches a decisive juncture.