Prime accused in Kerala actor abduction case finally gets bail with strict conditions

Kochi, Sep 20 : After more than seven and half years, a court finally granted bail to the prime accused in the infamous Kerala actress abduction case, Pulsar Suni, on Friday.

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court had granted him bail and ordered that Suni be produced before the trial court- Ernakulam Principal Sessions court within a week for his release on bail.

The trial court on Friday gave him bail but subject to strict conditions which include that he should not travel outside the jurisdiction area of the Ernakulam Principal Sessions court, he should have only one SIM card, should not try to influence anyone in the case, must not speak to the media and should submit a bond of Rs 1 lakh and two sureties.

The plea before the apex court was filed after the Kerala High Court on June 3 rejected Suni's 10th bail plea (overall).

A Bench of Justices Abhay S. Oka and Pankaj Mithal in the Supreme Court delivered the order on Tuesday after noting that Suni had been behind bars for over seven years and that the co-accused (including Dileep) in the same case had been given bail.

Notably, actor Dileep, who was also arrested, in this case, spent nearly three months in jail in Kochi.

The apex court added that the state could argue for stringent bail conditions to be imposed by the trial court before he is released on bail.

Suni is among those accused who were part of a conspiracy to abduct and sexually assault a prominent film actress in 2017.

The actress was abducted, driven around in a car, photographed, and sexually assaulted.

Suni was arrested in February 2017 and has remained in jail since then.