Kochi: The Kerala government has decided to file an appeal in the High Court challenging the trial court verdict in the actress assault case. An official order granting permission for the appeal was issued after the government accepted the recommendations of the Director General of Police (DGP) and the Special Public Prosecutor.
The appeal will contest the judgment of the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court, which acquitted actor Dileep, the eighth accused in the case, along with three other accused. The decision to proceed with the appeal was taken after a meeting between the survivor and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, following which the government moved to expedite legal action.
Senior officials have pointed out that key digital evidence in the case was rejected by the trial court citing minor reasons. The DGP and the Special Public Prosecutor have stated that the judgment contains serious technical and legal shortcomings, which will be highlighted before the High Court. The appeal is expected to be filed once the courts reopen after the Christmas vacation.
While the trial court had sentenced six accused, including the prime accused Pulsar Suni, to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment, Dileep and three others were acquitted on the ground that the prosecution failed to establish the charge of criminal conspiracy.
However, the prosecution and the investigating team have asserted that they possess strong and credible evidence related to the alleged conspiracy and are confident of proving the same before the higher court.
