Actress Assault Case: Kerala Police To Interrogate Court Staff

The Kerala Police is set to interrogate the staff of the Ernakulam Sessions Court, in connection with the sexual assault of a leading actress in a moving vehicle in the year 2017.

As per the Police, the Court staff leaked the video containing visuals of the attack on the actress.

The Police had sought permission from the Court for the interrogation. As per reports, the investigating agency is set to interrogate the Sheristadar and the Clerk responsible for the safekeeping of evidence.

Earlier this month, the prosecution had submitted recorded phone conversations before the Court as evidence in support of its claim that the actor Dileep, an accused in the case and his lawyers had a copy of the video and had watched the video.

By a reportable judgment of November 29, 2019, in the matter of P. Gopalkrishnan @ Dileep v. State of Kerala and Anr. a Bench of the Supreme Court comprising of Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice Dinesh Maheshwari had held that the accused actor Dileep is not entitled to receive a copy of a memory card that allegedly contains the controversial video.

The Court had, however, permitted the lawyers of the actor to view the video subject to certain conditions. The Court had held, "...the contents of the memory card/pen drive being electronic record must be regarded as a document. If the prosecution is relying on the same, ordinarily, the accused must be given a cloned copy thereof to enable him/her to present an effective defence during the trial".

While declining him a copy, the Court had held, "in cases involving issues such as of privacy of the complainant/witness or his/her identity, the Court may be justified in providing only inspection thereof to the accused and his/her lawyer or expert for presenting effective defence during the trial".