"Not every citizen is treated equally before law": Survivor of 2017 Kerala actress assault case breaks silence on verdict

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], December 14 (ANI): Days after the verdict in the 2017 actress sexual assault case, the survivor broke her silence, issuing her first public response after the judgment, stating that "I didn't trust this court."
Earlier this week, Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court sentenced six convicts to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment.
In a detailed social media post, she recalled her nearly nine-year-long legal battle, saying, "After 8 years, 9 months, and 23 days, I finally saw a small ray of light at the end of a very long and painful journey. Six of the accused have been convicted, and for that, I am GRATEFUL!!"
She further said, "This moment is dedicated to those who chose to call my pain a lie and this case a made-up story. I hope you are at peace with yourselves today!! And to those who still keep saying that Accused No.1 was my personal driver, this is completely false!!"
While clarifying the alleged lies, the survivor said that the accused No. 1 was not a personal driver or employee, but a random driver assigned to her for a 2016 movie.
"He was not my driver, not my employee, and not someone I knew. He was a random person who happened to be assigned as a driver for a movie I worked on in 2016!! Ironically, I met him only once or twice during that time, and never again, until the day this crime happened!!
Please stop spreading false stories!!" wrote the survivor on her Instagram handle.
While pointing to the anomalies in the case handling since 2020, the actress wrote, "This verdict may surprise many people, but it did not surprise me. As early as 2020, I began to feel that something was not right. Even the prosecution noticed changes in the way the case was being handled, especially when it came to one particular accused."
In the statement posted on her Instagram handle, the survivor described her long, emotional struggle, repeated failed attempts to change judges, and a final realisation that "not every citizen in this country is treated equally before the law."
"Over the years, I approached the High Court and the Supreme Court multiple times, clearly stating that I did not trust this court. Every request to move this case away from the same judge was dismissed. After years of pain, tears, and emotional struggle, I have come to a painful realisation: 'NOT EVERY CITIZEN IN THIS COUNTRY IS TREATED EQUALLY BEFORE THE LAW," wrote the actress.
She further expressed gratitude to those who supported her throughout the legal process, "At the end of the day, this verdict made me realise how strongly human judgment can shape decisions. I also know that every court does not function in the same way! My heartfelt thanks to everyone who stood by me throughout this long journey!!"
The actress also highlighted the reasons for losing faith in the trial court. She outlined the alleged significant issues with the judicial process.
She alleged in a statement on her Instagram, "These are the reasons why I lost faith in this trial court. My fundamental rights were not protected. The most important evidence in this case - the memory card - was found to have been illegally accessed three times while it was in court custody."
"Two public prosecutors resigned from this case, stating clearly that the court environment had become hostile towards the prosecution. Both of them personally told me not to expect justice from this court, as they felt it was biased."
"I repeatedly requested a proper investigation into the tampering of the memory card. However, the investigation report was never given to me until I kept asking again and again. While I was fighting for a fair trial, the accused filed a petition requesting that this same judge continue to hear the case. This raised even more serious doubts in my mind."
"l even wrote letters to the Honourable President of India and the Honourable Prime Minister of India, expressing my concerns and seeking intervention"
"I requested the court to conduct the proceedings in an open court, so that the public and media could be present and see for themselves what was happening. This request was denied," added the actress.
The case pertained to an actress who worked in Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu films and was allegedly abducted and molested inside her car by a group of men who forced their way into the vehicle on the night of February 17, 2017.
The verdict delivered by Justice Honey M Varghese found the accused guilty of kidnapping with intent to rape (Section 366 of the Indian Penal Code), criminal conspiracy (IPC 120B) and gang rape (IPC 376D).
Each convict has also been fined Rs 50,000, and failure to pay will result in an additional one-year imprisonment.
The Sessions Court had earlier acquitted Malayalam actor and the eighth accused, Dileep, in the 2017 case. (ANI)