Kerala Actor Assault Case: Survivor Seeks Transfer Of Case, Says Court Failed To Record Portions Of Her Testimony

A south Indian actress, who has filed a sexual assault case in which Malayalam actor Dileep is one of the accused, moved the Kerala High Court on Wednesday seeking to transfer the trial in the case from the current court to another one.

The complainant filed the petition in the high court after the Additional Special Sessions Judge, hearing the case, dismissed a plea filed by the special prosecutor seeking to adjourn the trial for approaching the high court to transfer the case to another court.

In her plea, the actress alleged that she was aggrieved by the biased and hostile attitude of the trial court hearing her case.

She alleged that the court sat like a mute spectator when she was being examined and harassed by the counsel for the eighth accused in the case.

Popular Malayalam actor Dileep is the eighth accused in the case of alleged sexual assault on the actress by a gang of men in a moving car here in February 2017.

The actress submitted that the trial court has failed to record certain portions of the testimonies deposed by her, deliberately and without any lawful justification.

Repeated prayer of the Special Public Prosecutor to record the same has fallen on deaf ears, she alleged in the plea.

She complained that the trial court failed to restrict the number of lawyers for the accused present inside the court hall when the petitioner was being examined and failed to uphold the spirit of in-camera trial.

In April this year, the high court had allowed the plea of the actress to appoint a woman judge for conducting trial in the case.

The high court had ordered CBI special court Judge-III Ernakulam to complete the trial expeditiously.

The court is hearing the case in-camera.

The Supreme Court has directed the trial court to dispose of the case on or before February 4, 2021.

Seven people were arrested in connection with the actress abduction and sexual assault case.

There are 10 accused in the case.

The entire act had allegedly taken place in a moving vehicle, which was filmed by the accused to blackmail the actress.

Dileep was subsequently arrested and arraigned as an accused in connection with offences under the Indian Penal Code and IT Act.