Hyderabad: In a significant legal setback for a popular actor who survived a sexual assault in 2017, the Kerala High Court has dismissed her application aimed at quashing a fact-finding inquiry report concerning the alleged unauthorised access to a memory card containing evidence of the assault. The ruling was delivered on Monday by Justice C.S. Dias, who directed that the survivor could pursue further legal avenues if desired.
The actor's plea centered on allegations that the inquiry into the handling of the memory card, which was under the court's custody, was conducted without her knowledge or participation. The actor, whose case against popular actor Dileep continues to garner public attention, expressed concerns over the secrecy of the inquiry, arguing that she was not given access to the report until it was ordered by the court.
In his ruling, Justice Dias noted that the relief sought by the actor was substantive and raised new legal issues, rendering her application not maintainable. He clarified that while the application was dismissed, the survivor retained the right to initiate new legal proceedings. The actor's legal team highlighted that the inquiry report indicated unauthorised access and manipulation of the memory card's hash value, raising further concerns about the integrity of the evidence.
The court's decision comes amid ongoing scrutiny of the handling of the case, which originally saw Dileep jailed for three months before being released on bail. The incident occurred in 2017 when she was assaulted in a moving car in Kochi. The prime accused, Pulsar Suni, got bail early this month after seven years from the Supreme Court.
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