The trial in the Kerala actor sexual assault case resumed on Monday after a pause of nearly three months due to the COVID-19 induced lockdown. The cross examination of the survivor actor which started on Monday, will be continued on Tuesday, sources said.
The trial in the case where Malayalam actor Dileep is accused of having masterminded the abduction and sexual assault of a leading woman actor, has been directed by the Supreme Court to be completed in six months. But the trial which started at the Additional Special Sessions Court in Ernakulam in last December, is yet to be completed.
On Monday, as the trial resumed, the accused persons were reportedly not brought to court due to the prevailing COVID-19 situation, and only the counsels were allowed to be present.
So far, 41 witnesses have been examined in the case. In the case where there are about 400 witnesses in total, the court had listed examination of 130 witnesses in the first phase of the trial. Many prime witnesses are yet to be examined.
Though the trial which was paused on March 24 due to lockdown, was initially scheduled to resume on June 15, it was further postponed as accused actor Dileep’s counsel sought an adjournment due to medical reasons.
Actor Dileep is the eighth accused in the case and is presently out on bail. Four others are also out on bail, while the first five accused persons including prime accused Pulsar Suni are in prison.
It was in February 2017 that the case which jolted Kerala happened.
Meanwhile, the judge of the trial court Justice Honey M Varghese will be relieved from the post on June 25 as she has been transferred to Kozhikode. It is not yet clear who will replace the judge of the trial court.
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