The Kerala High Court has reopened a significant chapter in the 2017 actress assault case. The court has directed the state to respond to a plea by the survivor-actress, who is seeking a new court-monitored investigation into the alleged unauthorized access of the memory card and pen drive containing visuals of the assault. Justice C.S. Dias’s bench noted that the survivor had presented a strong prima facie case and ordered the transfer of the memory card and pen drive to the Registrar General of the High Court for safekeeping.
The court specified that the exhibits should be sent in a sealed cover through a messenger to ensure the protection of the digital evidence during the plea’s consideration. The survivor had initially approached the high court in 2022, alleging unauthorized access to the memory card while it was in the trial court’s custody. Following this, the high court had ordered a fact-finding inquiry by the trial court, which the survivor later criticized for being unfair and incomplete.
In her latest petition, the survivor referenced forensic findings indicating that the memory card was accessed on three occasions while in the trial court’s custody. She argued that the possibility of copying or transferring the visuals could not be dismissed, constituting a serious breach of her privacy, dignity, and right to justice. The actress has requested an SIT probe involving forensic experts to investigate the unauthorized access, copying, or transmission of the digital evidence.
The case, which previously resulted in actor Dileep’s acquittal and convictions of six others, is currently under appeal by the state before the high court. The matter will be revisited in court a month after the state submits its counter-affidavit. Notably, the actress has faced challenges in this fresh petition, with two judges recusing themselves, adding further complexity to one of Kerala’s most closely followed criminal cases.
