A week after the verdict in the actor assault case of Kerala, that had kept an entire state on edge for nearly nine long years, the survivor attended a Christmas fete hosted by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The Chief Minister cut a chocolate cream cake in the presence of religious leaders and politicians. The CMO office shared a picture of the CM in conversation with the survivor actor, in what is clearly a political statement.
Ever since the verdict of the case was pronounced on December 8, public opinion appears to have divided into two, one in favour of the survivor, and another for the acquitted actor Dileep. The trial court in Kochi convicted six men of committing the crime – of abducting and sexually assaulting the survivor actor in a car in February 2017. However, the court said that the conspiracy behind such an attack could not be proved, and acquitted the alleged mastermind of the crime, Dileep. In the judgment that came four days later, the guilty men were awarded minimum punishment for conspiracy – a prison term of 20 years, and a fine of Rs 50,000.
The survivor responded to the verdict and sentence on December 14, with a strong statement of why she lost faith in the trial court. "Not every citizen in this country is treated equally before the law," she wrote in a very telling social media post.
Five years after the crime, she had boldly revealed her identity, saying that she realised she was not a victim anymore, but a survivor. Her unflinching fight of the last eight years did not fall on deaf ears.
Angry reactions to the verdict and judgement sprung across the state, with the acquittal of Dileep appearing to cause a wave of disappointment among the public and especially women. The 'Avalkoppam' campaign which was launched in support of the survivor in 2017 was rekindled with women activists and celebrities recently holding a protest at the International Film Festival of Kerala.
