Three days after it submitted the supplementary chargesheet against actor Dileep and others, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) which probed the actor abduction and rape case has approached the court seeking to prevent the witnesses’ statements being discussed within the public domain.
Official sources said the police had already sent a report to this effect to the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court at Angamaly. It seeks to initiate action under the Code of Criminal Procedure, Cr.PC, 327(3), which stipulates that it shall not be lawful for any person to print or publish matters relating to judicial proceedings, except with the previous permission of the court.
‘‘It was filed in the wake of written complaints by a few witnesses who fear for their security as some TV channels specifically mentioned their names and even held panel discussions on their statements to the police,’’ they said. Further, it was also pointed out that the court had already issued a directive to hold the proceedings in the case in camera.
According to them, the leaking of witnesses’ statements through the media made them vulnerable to being threatened by the accused. ‘‘To ensure that these witnesses appear before the court as and when demanded by it and give their statements without any pressure is crucial in proving the case,’’ they said.
The latest move comes even as the SIT is mulling over approaching the Ernakulam District Court seeking to fast-track the judicial proceedings in the case. The move to speed up the trial is being initiated to avoid the possibility of the accused, who also includes highly influential personality, influencing at least some of the witnesses in case of a delay in trail.
Considering the gravity of the offences involved in the case, the Judicial First Class Magistrate at Angamaly is slated to commit it to a sessions court for further proceedings. The supplementary chargesheet submitted by the SIT has listed 355 persons as witnesses, including some 50 persons from the Malayalam film industry.
The court is currently verifying the chargesheet, which runs over 1,450 pages, before accepting it in the file. However, a few pages of the documents have already been leaked through the media, which prompted the SIT to seek a gag order.
