Setback to Dileep: HC dismiss his fresh plea in actor-assault case

Kochi: In Kerala's actor-assault case of 2017, accused actor Dileep was served a setback by the Kerala High Court, upholding a single judge's order to provide the victim copies of the statements of persons examined during a fact-finding inquiry, which the victim had requested earlier, Live Law reported.

The single judge bench had directed the Ernakulam District and Sessions Judge to provide what the survivor sought, which Dileep had challenged in an appeal, but the HC bench of Justice N. Nagaresh and Justice P.M. Manoj dismissed it on Tuesday.

The single bench, giving direction to Ernakulam District and Sessions court on April 12, 2024, said that it did not intend the fact-finding inquiry to be treated as confidential, holding that the survivor has the right to get copies of the statement.

Dileep challenged the single judge's order alleging that the survivor cannot file interim applications in a petition that was disposed of on December 7 last year, citing Supreme Court judgements.

The survivor filed the plea demanding a court-monitored investigation into the alleged leakage of visuals of her being sexually assaulted from a memory card which was kept in the custody of various courts. The inquiry report suggested the allegations were true that the card was illegally accessed multiple times while in the custody of courts.

However, the survivor was denied a copy of the inquiry report and was stopped from approaching the court for the same. But the Kerala High Court directed the Ernakulam District and Sessions Court to provide her with the same. The survivor again filed two interim applications to set aside the inquiry report as well as to provide a copy of the statements of witnesses examined during the inquiry. The High Court also directed for the same, which accused Dileep challenged.