KOCHI: Malayalam actor Dileep has accused some police officials and a section of the media of hatching a “conspiracy against him” to implicate him in the 2017 sexual assault case of a South Indian actress, claiming the aim was to destroy his career. Speaking to reporters shortly after his acquittal on Monday, Dileep said the “real conspiracy” was to make him an accused in the case. “It was done to destroy my career, image, and life in society,” he said. The actor, who starred in films including Meeshamadhavan, criticised his ex-wife and leading actress Manju Warrier, alleging that the conspiracy began with her statement that a criminal conspiracy behind the assault should be investigated. Without naming anyone, Dileep claimed that a senior female police officer and a team of “criminal-minded” officers chosen by her had acted against him. He further alleged that these officers, along with the prime accused and his co-inmate, fabricated a false story against him which was circulated through social media with support from certain media outlets. “Today, that false narrative, fabricated by the police, was shattered in court,” he said, thanking his family, lawyers, and fans for supporting him throughout the legal battle. The Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court, presided over by Judge Honey M. Varghese, acquitted Dileep and three others in the case, while six others, including the prime accused Sunil N.S., alias Pulsar Suni, were found guilty. The verdict concluded a lengthy trial that began after the incident on 17 February 2017. The case involved the abduction and assault of a multi-lingual actress, who was forced into her car by several men and held captive for about two hours in a busy area, sparking widespread outrage across Kerala. Police arrested the accused soon after the incident and filed the first charge sheet against seven persons in April 2017. Dileep was later arrested on 10 July 2017 after investigators found that Sunil allegedly sent him a letter from jail. The ten accused who faced trial were Sunil, Martin Antony, B. Manikandan, V.P. Vijesh, H. Salim, Pradeep, Charly Thomas, Dileep (real name P. Gopalakrishnan), Sanil Kumar alias Mesthri Sanil, and Sharath.