The Kerala High Court on Thursday dismissed a petition moved by the survivor in the 2017 actress abduction and sexual assault case seeking transfer of the case back to the Special Court from the District and Sessions Court.
Rejecting the plea, a Single bench of Justice Ziyad Rahman AA said the survivor might be ‘influenced’ by the ongoing ‘media trial’ in the case.
The survivor in the case had filed a petition at the High Court stating she was not satisfied with the trial proceedings being conducted by Judge Honey M Varghese.
The survivor, in her plea had alleged that actor Dileep, the eight accused in the case, had close ties to the trial judge, Honey M Varghese and her husband. She further said when judge Honey M Varghese was transferred to a particular court as the Principal Sessions Judge, the case was also transferred to her court and claimed such transfer of case was not legal by administrative order.
The case was being heard by the Ernakulam Principal District and Sessions Court, presided by Judge Honey M Varghese.
The case was transferred from the CBI Special Court to the District and Sessions Court, Ernakulam, when judge Honey M. Varghese, was transferred as the sessions judge.
This is the second time that the survivor has moved the HC against the judge, and both times, her petition has been rejected. With this order, the trial will be continued before Sessions Judge Honey M Varghese.
The case pertains to an actress who worked in Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu films was allegedly abducted and molested inside a running car on the night of 17 February 2017.