Passengers protested a Dileep film screening on a KSRTC bus due to his acquittal in a 2017 assault case, leading to its removal.

On December 14, passengers on a KSRTC bus from Thiruvananthapuram to Kalpetta protested after a film starring actor Dileep, acquitted in the 2017 Kerala actress assault case, was screened. Women passengers, including Lekshmi R Shekhar, objected, citing discomfort from the film’s association with the unresolved case. Lekshmi reported raising concerns with the conductor, threatening to exit the bus, and found most female passengers opposed to the screening, though two supported it. The conductor turned off the film after majority disapproval. Some male passengers, reportedly intoxicated, argued the case was settled, but Lekshmi noted the case remains pending in higher courts and stressed the need to support survivors. The incident underscored public sensitivity around the case and the importance of respecting passenger comfort in shared spaces.