Actress
Assault
Case:
The
court
is
scheduled
to
pronounce
the
sentences
of
six
men
convicted
in
the
2017
assault
of
a
Malayalam
actress
today.
The
case,
which
has
drawn
nationwide
attention,
saw
a
split
verdict,
with
actor
Dileep
and
three
others
acquitted,
while
six
others,
including
the
first
accused,
Pulsar
Suni,
were
found
guilty.
According
to
a
report
by
Asianet
News,
arguments
on
the
sentences
of
the
six
accused
will
take
place
today.
The
prosecution
has
indicated
that
it
will
seek
the
maximum
penalty
of
life
imprisonment
for
all
six
convicted
men.
According
to
reports,
Special
Public
Prosecutor
V.
Ajakumar
will
tell
the
court
that
the
accused
pose
a
serious
threat
to
society,
citing
their
prior
criminal
records
and
the
gravity
of
their
crimes,
which
include
rape,
abduction,
conspiracy,
and
wrongful
confinement.
The
six
convicted,
Pulsar
Suni,
Martin
Antony,
Manikandan
B,
Vijesh
V.
P,
Salim
H,
and
Pradeep,
were
found
guilty
under
multiple
provisions
of
the
Indian
Penal
Code
and
relevant
sections
of
the
IT
Act.
According
to
the
prosecution,
the
offenses
were
of
a
serious
nature,
including
gang
rape
and
using
criminal
force
with
intent
to
outrage
a
woman’s
modesty.
The
defense,
however,
has
reportedly
requested
that
the
court
consider
individual
circumstances
while
deciding
the
sentences.
Pulsar
Suni,
who
has
spent
seven
and
a
half
years
in
custody,
along
with
the
other
accused
who
have
served
significant
time
in
remand,
will
seek
leniency
on
this
basis.
Lawyers
for
some
of
the
accused
have
argued
that
their
clients
were
not
directly
involved
in
the
act
of
rape
and
were
only
implicated
as
abettors
according
to
the
prosecution’s
interpretation.
Meanwhile,
the
acquittal
of
Dileep,
along
with
Charley
Thomas,
Sanil
Kumar
alias
Mesthri
Sanil,
and
Sarath,
continues
to
be
a
subject
of
discussion.
According
to
a
report
by
Mathrubhumi
English,
the
prosecution
has
stated
that
it
has
not
yet
received
the
full
judgment
and
can
ascertain
the
reasons
for
the
acquittal
of
Dileep
and
the
others
only
after
reviewing
the
complete
ruling.
Today’s
proceedings
are
expected
to
clarify
the
punishment
for
the
six
convicted
men
and
provide
a
final
judicial
determination
in
one
of
Kerala’s
most
closely
followed
criminal
cases
of
recent
years.
Both
the
prosecution
and
the
defense
will
present
their
final
arguments,
after
which
the
court
is
set
to
announce
the
quantum
of
sentences.