Kerala actor sexual assault case: Supreme Court grants bail to prime accused

The Supreme Court on September 17 granted bail to Sunil N.S., the prime accused in the Kerala actor sexual assault case of 2017. The bail was granted by a Bench headed by Justice A.S. Oka.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday (September 17, 2024) granted bail to N.S. Sunil., the prime accused in the Kerala actor sexual assault case of 2017.

The bail was granted by a Bench headed by Justice A.S. Oka.

Sunil, who has been in jail for the past seven years, had approached the Supreme Court after the Kerala High Court dismissed his bail on June 3.

The bail plea had said that he accused’s mother was also undergoing medical treatment. Advocate Sriram Parakkat, appearing for Sunil, had said only one prosecution witness was examined in the past 95 days.

The Supreme Court had declined bail to Sunil, also known as Pulsar Suni, in April last year.

In August last year, the Supreme Court gave time till March 31, 2024 to finish the trial. The trial had failed to meet two earlier Supreme Court-issued deadlines of January 31, 2022 and July 31, 2023.

The sexual assault case had triggered a public outrage. Women actors’ collective from within the Kerala film industry had raised allegations of exploitation and sought a fair enquiry. The State Government had constituted a committee chaired by a former Kerala High Court, Justice K. Hema in 2017.