The Kerala High Court on Friday extended an interim stay on trial proceedings in the sensational actor assault case, till November 16. The stay was extended while considering the plea of the survivor actor and the state government that the case should be transferred from the present trial court. Deferring the trial proceedings once again, a single judge Bench of Justice PV Kunhikrishnan said that the plea of the survivor actor and the state government will also be considered again on November 16.
The HC deferred the trial proceedings till Friday and it was extended again, as the senior government pleader who appeared for the state government, was presently under quarantine. The trial of the case was being considered by the Additional Sessions (CBI special No III) Court in Ernakulam. Though examination of many key witnesses in the case is over, the survivor actor and the state government itself moved the High Court asking for a different judge to hear the case, after Special Public Prosecutor A Suresan came forward alleging a discriminatory approach by the trial court judge.
The case pertaining to the abduction and sexual assault of a leading Malayalam actor in Kerala in 2017, was tried by Justice Honey M Varghese, as per the request of the survivor that the case should be head in a woman judge’s court. The senior government pleader who appeared for the government in HC had also earlier hit out against the trial court, stating that there has been no ‘act of balancing’ by the Bench.
The survivor actor in the case has also raised serious allegations stating that even when she was harassed by the counsel of actor Dileep, who is accused to have masterminded the crime, the trial court judge did not stop him. She also alleged that the court had a hostile attitude towards her and said that it was biased. She also alleged that the trial court had deliberately recorded only certain portions of her testimony.
Actor Dileep is the eighth accused in the case and is presently out on bail. It has been alleged that he masterminded the crime to take personal revenge on the survivor actor. Other key accused including main accused Pulsar Suni are still in prison.
Also Read: