KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday adjourned to July 22 the hearing on the petition filed by the survivor in the 2017 actor abduction and sexual assault case alleging political interference in the further investigation. When the plea came up for hearing, the court orally observed, “You have made serious allegations regarding the investigation and you must be wary of that.” The court also made it clear that it will examine whether the allegations were necessary or not at a later stage.
Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas made the remarks when the survivor’s petition filed through her counsel T B Mini seeking a directive not to file a final report in the case unless and until the report of the state forensic science laboratory’s examination of the memory card is received.
The counsel informed the court that it is learnt that the FSL report has been produced before the trial court, but she hasn’t received its copy. Hence, she sought an adjournment. On this, the court observed that the examination of the memory card and this petition are not connected. However, the court accepted the request and adjourned the plea to Friday.
The survivor had alleged that eighth accused Dileep, who is highly influential, directly and through his sources influenced some of the politicians in the ruling front and tried to derail the further probe in the case and prematurely close it.
Meanwhile, the survivor opposed Dileep’s plea to allow him to implead in the petition. In the objection statement, she said she has got reliable information that the accused and his counsel have high influence in the government and they are influencing the higher authorities to block a free and fair investigation. “The accused has no legal right to be heard and allowed to design the investigation as per his choice. If the accused is impleaded in a petition in which the survivor has expressed apprehension regarding the probe, the purpose of the petition itself will be defeated,” she said.