Trial in actor rape case to resume soon

Nine months after stalling the trial in the actor rape case, the court will resume the proceedings shortly as the Kerala High Court has turned down the plea of the survivor for changing the judge trying the case.

The survivor had apprehended that a fair trial would not be possible before the District and Sessions Judge Honey M. Varghese, who had earlier tried the case in her capacity as the Special Judge.

However, the High Court noted that “nothing unusual could be assumed or found, touching upon the credibility” of the Sessions Court judge and the apprehensions of the survivor “regarding possible interference in the fair trial” were not reasonable. The court noted that the survivor was a victim of “wrong perceptions and aspersions created by the media.”

The trail was put on hold on December 29, last year following the further investigation launched in the wake of revelations of filmmaker Balachandrakumar, who stated that he had seen actor Dileep and others watching the video of the alleged rape at his Aluva residence.

The trial is likely to resume next month after completing the legal formalities following the filing of the supplementary final report. Sarath, a friend of Dileep, was arraigned as an accused in the supplementary report filed after the further investigation.

The High Court order also rendered the two petitions filed by the survivor and the prosecution before the District Court seeking a change of court for the trial infructuous. The District Court is left with no option but to reject the pleas as the High Court had decided on the same petition. The Sessions Court, which has scheduled the next hearing in the petition on September 28, may consider the two petitions on the day.

The District court may have to conduct a day-to-day trial in the case considering the ultimatum of the Supreme Court to complete the proceedings before January 31, next year.