Actress Assault Case 2017: Kerala HC Reserves Decision On Pulsar Suni’s Bail Plea

The Kerala High Court on Monday reserved its decision on the bail plea of Sunil N.S., also known by ‘Pulsar Suni’. He is one of the main accused in the actress sexual assault case in 2017. 

Justice P.V Kunhikrishnan noted that several decisions states that the gravity of the offence must also be considered in such cases, and that simply because an accused has been imprisoned for so many years cannot be a reason for release.

The Court stated, “How brutal is the victim’s prima facie evidence? I’ll think about it. Post for orders. Reserved.”

The prosecution case against Suni is that, as part of actor Dileep’s criminal conspiracy, the former, along with certain other accused, abducted and sexually assaulted the victim-actress in a moving car in 2017. While Suni is the main accused in the case, Malayalam actor Dileep is a co-accused and is accused of being the mastermind behind the plot. In the 2017 case, ten people were charged.

Sections 120 (B), 109, 342, 366, 354, 354B, 357, 376D, 201, and 212 of the IPC, as well as Sections 66 A and 66 E of the Information Technology Act, have been charged against the ten accused. Suni has been imprisoned for nearly 6 years.

Accused Suni had previously approached the High Court for grant of bail in March 2022. On March 29, 2022, Justice Kunhikrishnan rejected the same, stating that bail could not be granted at that stage.

“After hearing both sides, I believe this is not a case where the petitioner should be released on bail at this time. This Court considered this issue in depth in the petitioner’s previous bail application. The trial court addressed this issue in detail in the bail order, which is produced as Annexure-6. There has been no change in circumstances. The Public Prosecutor stated that the trial is nearing its conclusion. Furthermore, it is claimed that an additional investigation is being conducted,” the bench had noticed while rejecting the bail application.

When accused Suni had approached the Supreme Court against the rejection of his bail application, the apex court also refused to grant him bail. However, the Supreme Court granted Suni the right to reapply for bail in the High Court if the trial is not completed within a reasonable time.