KOCHI: The High Court on Wednesday asked the state government whether there was a proposal to constitute a special court to conduct the trial in last year’s actor abduction and sexual assault case.
The matter came up when the petition filed by the actor, who is the victim in the case, sought a directive to conduct the trial in the case by a Sessions Court presided by a woman judge. She also sought a directive to set up a special court to try the case, in which actor Dileep is also an accused.
The court asked whether the government proposed to send a request to the High Court for setting up a special court headed by a woman judge. The prosecution sought time to make a submission.
In her petition, the actor also challenged the Ernakulam Sessions Court order rejecting her plea to transfer the case to a Sessions Court headed by a woman judge for conducting the trial in the case.
Her plea was dismissed on the ground no women sessions judges were available in the Ernakulam district.
The petition was adjourned to July 23 for further hearing. Meanwhile, 11th accused Pradeesh Chacko and 12th accused advocate Raju Joseph approached the High Court challenging the Ernakulam Sessions Court order dismissing their petitions seeking to discharge them from the case.
When the petition by Chacko came up before Justice Sunil Thomas who is considering the case, the prosecution informed a similar petition filed by Raju has come up before another Bench.
Case posted to August 1
Kochi: The Ernakulam Sessions Court has posted the actor assault case to August 1. Considering the case on Wednesday, the court directed the defence counsels to submit clearly the documents they require instead of citing they have not received the whole documents. The lawyers of the accused moved an application seeking more documents on Wednesday also. Meanwhile, the prosecutions submitted the documents repeatedly being asked have already been handed over to the accused . The court also dismissed the bail petition of Pradeep, the sixth accused.