Actor abduction case: Take urgent steps to resume trial, court asks officer

The order was issued after special public prosecutor didn’t appear for proceedings.
Malayalam actor Dileep (File Photo | Express)
Malayalam actor Dileep (File Photo | Express)

KOCHI:  The Additional Special Sessions Court here on Thursday directed the investigation officer of the sensational actor abduction case to take urgent steps to resume the trial. The court issued the directive after the special public prosecutor (SPP) did not appear for court proceedings again. Advocate Joseph Manavalan, who assists the SPP, told the court that the witnesses who were summoned could not turn up apprehending Covid-19 spread. He sought time for the prosecution for approaching the High Court (HC) to transfer the case to another court. 

“This is the eighth day the same submission is being made without any action. In light of the Supreme Court’s directive to dispose of the matter before February 4, 2021, the investigation officer is directed to take urgent steps to resume the trial and file a report regarding the absence of the SPP,” said the court diary. Since last Thursday, the prosecution has been seeking time from the sessions court to approach the HC to get the case transferred to another court.

There were reports that the SPP had filed a petition seeking the adjournment of the trial as it wanted to approach the HC for transferring the case, saying that justice will be denied to the victim if the trial continues in the current court, terming it biased. 

On Wednesday, the prosecution had submitted that it will approach the HC on Thursday. However, the sessions court found that no such petition had been in the HC till now.The court also directed to issue summons to five witnesses asking them to appear on Friday. The court also dismissed a bail petition filed by one of the accused. The petition seeking the cancellation of the bail granted to actor Dileep, one of the 10 accused persons, will be considered on Friday. It was in February 2017 that a leading film actor of south India was abducted and sexually harassed in a moving vehicle while she was travelling to Kochi after a film shoot in Thrissur.

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