KOCHI: The trial in the sensational actor abduction of 2017 will resume at the Additional Special Sessions Court here on June 15 with the cross-examination of the victim, a south Indian actor, by the counsel of actor Dileep. Dileep is one of the accused facing trial in the case. The court on Wednesday held a sitting to take a decision on resuming the trial, which was halted following the nationwide lockdown in March. The prosecution submitted that the cross-examination can be carried in June.
The court directed the prosecution to ensure that the victim is present in court on June 15. The victim actor was stranded in Karnataka and returned to Kerala recently. She is currently in 14-day home quarantine. When she was cross-examined by the counsels of other accused persons earlier, Dileep’s lawyer sought more time as the memory card containing the visuals of the attack was sent for detailed analysis to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory in Chandigarh. The report of the analysis has been handed over to Dileep.
After the victim’s cross-examination, the court will summon the other witnesses who are yet to be examined by the defence lawyers. Later, the court will prepare a schedule to complete the process for all remaining witnesses. The first phase of witness examination was originally scheduled to end on April 7 with 136 witnesses listed. In the second phase, 119 witnesses are to be heard.
The incident pertains to the attack on the Malayalam actor inside a moving vehicle on February 17, 2017. The attackers recorded the visuals of the attack. Of the 10 accused facing trial, five, including Dileep, are out on bail, while the rest are lodged in various jails in Ernakulam.