KOCHI: The state government on Friday approached the Kerala High Court seeking to set aside the Kozhikode Sessions Court’s order granting anticipatory bail to writer and social activist Civic Chandran in the sexual assault case registered against him at the Koyilandy police station. The appeal stated custodial interrogation of the accused is necessary.
The government in its appeal said that the finding of the sessions court that the accused had no knowledge that the victim belonged to a Scheduled Caste was against the facts of the case and such a conclusion was without any legal basis. The knowledge of the accused was purely a question of fact and the same could be verified only after questioning the accused.
The investigation conducted so far has undoubtedly revealed that the allegations against the accused were true and custodial interrogation of the accused was highly required for an effective investigation of the case. The sessions court seriously erred in stating that there was no prima facie case against the accused. Besides, the sessions court should have considered that the delay in filing the complaint occurred due to mental trauma and also due to the untimely demise of the father of the victim.