KOCHI: The final hearing in the 2017 actor abduction and assault case will be held at Ernakulam District Principal Sessions Court on May 21. The court on Friday completed hearing the prosecution and defence counsels.
The defence side’s final hearing, which began on December 11, 2024, was followed by the prosecution’s submissions which started on April 8. After reviewing the trial records, the court is expected to seek any required clarifications from the prosecution and the defence counsels on May 21 as part of the final hearing procedure. A date for the judgement will be decided thereafter.
The court had earlier resolved to complete the hearing before the commencement of the one-month-long summer vacation, which begins on Saturday.
Meanwhile, on Friday, the defence submitted a formal objection, urging the court not to grant any additional time to the prosecution for further arguments, citing that the argument stage had already concluded.
The trial, which commenced in January 2020, saw the examination of 261 witnesses. The case pertains to the abduction and sexual assault of a popular actor on February 17, 2017, while she was travelling from Thrissur to Kochi in a moving vehicle.
A total of nine individuals are facing trial in the case. Actor Dileep, who has been charged with criminal conspiracy, is listed as the eighth accused.
