Actress assault case 2017: Survivor pens emotional note- ‘Should have accepted the incident as fate’

Survivor pens emotional note

The survivor in the 2017 actress assault case took to Instagram to pen a second statement after the verdict was delivered by a Kerala court earlier this month. She shared an emotional note addressing the online chatter surrounding her and the case. The post was also a response to the relentless victim-blaming she continues to face.

Survivor pens emotional note

The actress wrote the note in Malayalam, which can be translated as, "My fault was reporting the assault to the police immediately and proceeding with legal action. I should have accepted the incident as fate and kept quiet. If and when the video comes out, and when I have no answer to the question of why I complained to the police right away, I should have killed myself."

The note further read, "I saw the video posted online by the second accused, who was sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment, before he surrendered to serve his sentence. He should have said that it was I who took the nude videos. To those who say such perverse things and spread them, may it never happen to you or your family. Not a victim, not a survivor, just a human being. Let me live."

Survivor's first reaction to court verdict

The Kerala court passed a verdict in which the first six accused were found guilty of the crime. Actor Dileep, who was the eighth accused and alleged mastermind, was acquitted in the case. Following the verdict, the survivor had earlier penned a post reflecting on the long legal battle she has fought since 2017, when the incident occurred. She said the verdict "did not surprise" her but described it as a "small ray of light" after what she called a "very long and painful journey."

Her Instagram post read, "December 12, 2025… 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!! 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!!"

A portion of her post also read, "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. I will share those details in the next slide. 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'…"