Days after the verdict in the 2017 actress sexual assault case, the survivor broke her silence, issuing her first public response after the judgment and stating that "I didn't trust this court".
Earlier this week, the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court sentenced six convicts to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment.
In a detailed Instagram post, she reflected on 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 wrote, "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!!"
Clarifying the alleged misinformation, the survivor stated that Accused No. 1 was neither her personal driver nor her employee, but a random driver assigned to her for a film project in 2016.
"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!!" the survivor wrote on her Instagram handle.
Pointing to alleged anomalies in the handling of the case 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 shared on Instagram, the survivor described her long emotional struggle, repeated failed attempts to seek a change of judge, 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,'" she wrote.
She also expressed gratitude to those who supported her throughout the legal process, saying, "At the end of the day, this verdict made me realise how strongly human judgement 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 further outlined the reasons for losing faith in the trial court and highlighted what she described as serious lapses in the judicial process.
"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," she alleged.
"Two public prosecutors resigned from this case, clearly stating 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," the actress continued.
"I repeatedly requested a proper investigation into the tampering of the memory card. However, the investigation report was not shared with me until I kept asking again and again. While I was fighting for a fair trial, the accused filed a petition requesting that the same judge continue to hear the case. This raised even more serious doubts in my mind. I even wrote letters to the Honourable President of India and the Honourable Prime Minister of India, expressing my concerns and seeking intervention," she penned.
"I requested the court to conduct the proceedings in open court, so that the public and media could be present and see for themselves what was happening. This request was denied," the actress added.
The case pertains to an actress who has worked in Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu films, and who was allegedly abducted and sexually assaulted inside her car by a group of men who forced their way into the vehicle on the night of 17 February 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 Section 120B), and gang rape (IPC Section 376D).
Each convict has also been fined Rs 50,000, with failure to pay resulting in an additional one year of imprisonment.
The Sessions Court had earlier acquitted Malayalam actor Dileep, the eighth accused, in the 2017 case.
