Kerala actress assault case: SC grants bail to Pulsar Suni

The prime accused of the 2017 actress assault case, Pulsar Suni, has been granted bail by the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

Suni has been in jail since February 2017, after being named the prime accused in a case of abduction and sexual assault of a prominent actress in Kochi on February 17, 2017.

Suni said accused actor Dileep of being the mastermind.

'Pulsar' Suni, whose real name is Sunil N.S., said in his bail plea that his trial had faced unnecessary complications due to the actor's involvement and the delay, leading to a seven-and-a-half-year pre-trial detention. In his plea, he also mentioned his mother's declining health and the need for him to be present with her and his family.

Justices Abhay S. Oka and Pankaj Mithal, while allowing the bail, ordered Suni to appear before the court for his release on bail within the week.

This is the second time that Suni has been granted bail. Last year, he was given a one-day bail to perform the last rites of his father, in April.

Suni has appealed for bail multiple times over the years, to both the Kerala High Court and Supreme Court, but was denied.

On June 3, upon filing his 10th bail application, Suni was fined Rs 25,000 for using different lawyers to file for bail repeatedly.

The bail comes a month after the release of the Hema Committee report, which details harassment against women and pay disparity in the Malayalam film industry.

The report was an initiative of the Women's Collective in Cinema (WCC), which was formed in response to the 2017 assault case.