KOCHI: In a major development in the 2017 actor assault and sexual assault case, the Kerala High Court on Friday directed the Ernakulam District and Sessions Judge to immediately transfer the memory card and pen drive containing visuals of the sexual assault to the Registrar General of the High Court in a sealed cover. The court also directed the Registrar General to keep the crucial electronic evidence in safe custody until further orders are passed.
Justice C S Dias issued the order while considering a petition filed by the survivor seeking to quash the inquiry report submitted by then trial judge Honey M Varghese on the alleged illegal access to the memory card while it was in court custody. The survivor has also sought a comprehensive investigation into the unauthorized access to the memory card and pen drive, and the possible copying and transmission of the eight video recordings of the crime through a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the direct supervision of the High Court.
When the petition came up for hearing, the Single Judge observed: “I am satisfied that the petitioner (survivor) has made out a prima facie case for an interim order. Hence, I direct the District and Sessions Judge, Ernakulam, to forthwith transmit the memory card and pen drive in question, in a sealed cover through a messenger, to the Registrar General of this Court. The Registrar General shall keep them in safe custody until this Court passes further orders.”
The court subsequently directed the prosecution to file a detailed counter-affidavit regarding the matter within one month. The survivor’s petition stated that a forensic examination had explicitly found that the memory card had been illegally accessed on the night of January 9, 2018; on December 13, 2018, at 9:58 PM and 10:58 PM; and on July 19, 2021, between 12:19 PM and 12:54 PM.
Following these initial findings, the High Court had previously directed the Ernakulam District and Sessions Judge to conduct a fact-finding inquiry. That report found that Leena Rasheed, then Judicial First Class Magistrate, Angamaly; Mahesh Mohan, then Senior Clerk to the Principal Sessions Judge; and Thajudeen, then Sheristadar of the trial court in Ernakulam, had accessed the memory card. However, administrative disciplinary proceedings were initiated only against Mahesh Mohan and Thajudeen.
According to the survivor, the findings and final conclusions of that controversial inquiry report were reached arbitrarily without consulting any forensic expert or professional investigator. Earlier, two judges of the Kerala High Court had recused themselves from hearing the matter due to varying administrative and proprietary reasons.
ലഘു വിവരണം
നടിയെ ആക്രമിച്ച കേസിലെ സുപ്രധാന ദൃശ്യങ്ങളടങ്ങിയ മെമ്മറി കാർഡും പെൻഡ്രൈവും അടിയന്തിരമായി സീൽ ചെയ്ത കവറിൽ ഹൈക്കോടതി രജിസ്ട്രാർ ജനറലിന് കൈമാറാൻ എറണാകുളം ജില്ലാ സെഷൻസ് ജഡ്ജിക്ക് ഹൈക്കോടതി ഉത്തരവ് നൽകി. വിചാരണക്കോടതിയുടെ കസ്റ്റഡിയിലിരിക്കെ ഈ ദൃശ്യങ്ങൾ അനധികൃതമായി പരിശോധിച്ചതിനെക്കുറിച്ചുള്ള മുൻ അന്വേഷണ റിപ്പോർട്ട് റദ്ദാക്കണമെന്ന അതിജീവിതയുടെ ഹർജിയിലാണ് ജസ്റ്റിസ് സി.എസ്. ഡയസിന്റെ ഈ നിർണായക ഇടക്കാല ഉത്തരവ്. മെമ്മറി കാർഡ് ചോർച്ചയിൽ ഹൈക്കോടതി മേൽനോട്ടത്തിൽ പ്രത്യേക സംഘത്തിന്റെ പുനരന്വേഷണം വേണമെന്നാണ് അതിജീവിതയുടെ പ്രധാന ആവശ്യം.
(With inputs from TNIE)
For more details: Navamalayalam.com