In a report filed before the Additional Special Sessions Court, on Thursday, in the female actor abduction and sexual assault case, the prosecution has said that a memory card containing visuals of the sexual assault, which was in court custody, was accessed illegally.
In February 2017, a female actor who predominantly works in Malayalam and Kannada cinema was abducted and sexually assaulted by a gang of men in a moving car en route to Kochi from Thrissur. After almost five years, the case gained momentum again at the end of 2021 when some serious allegations were levelled against actor Dileep – one of the accused and the supposed mastermind behind the attack – by filmmaker Balachandra Kumar. He alleged that Dileep had watched the video of the sexual assault at his house, that the actor knew the first accused Pulsar Suni, and had influenced some of the significant witnesses in the case who turned hostile during the trial.
Following this, the victim sought further investigation in the case, and the court ordered a fresh probe and directed the investigating team to file a report on the findings.
The report on Thursday was filed in accordance with this direction. However, the court diary notes that it mentions nothing regarding the investigation conducted from February 1 to March 1.
The court diary also notes that the investigating team has sought three more months to complete the probe and adds, “Since there is nothing in the report regarding the investigation conducted using the period granted by this court, this court is not in a position to fix a time for the remaining part of the investigation as directed by the Supreme Court.”
Further, the report filed before the court also stated that the memory card in court custody, which contained visuals of the sexual assault, was accessed illegally.
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It is notable that in February, the survivor had moved the Supreme Court seeking a probe into the alleged leaking of visuals from a lower court in the past. She said that the visuals were accessed by someone at the Principal and Sessions Court of Ernakulam.
The court diary states that the investigating officer has been directed to furnish details about the alleged illegal access to the memory card kept in the custody of the court in a sealed cover.
The officer has also been ordered to file a proper report before the court containing all details regarding the probe on or before March 10.
The deadline set by the Supreme Court to complete the trial expired on February 16. However, the trial court has sought an extension.
For a complete timeline of the female actor abduction and assault case, see here.