Kerala: Petition in HC seeking action against court staff who accessed memory card in actress attack case
A petition filed by cultural and political activists urges the Kerala High Court Chief Justice to take action against court staff accused of tampering with a critical memory card in the actress attack case. The petition highlights concerns over evidence security and alleged collusion to sabotage proceedings.
FollowKochi: A petition has been submitted to the Chief Justice of the High Court, calling for action against individuals who accessed a memory card—a key piece of evidence in the actress attack case—while it was in the court's custody. The cultural activist group 'Athijeevithayaya Nadikkoppam' has demanded that court staff involved in this breach be dismissed and penalized.
The petition emphasizes the need for stringent standards to protect documents and evidence within the court system. It also accuses officials of colluding to undermine the case. Over 100 cultural and political activists, including prominent figures such as KK Rema, KR Meera, and Sara Joseph, have signed the petition.
The survivor of the assault case had petitioned the Kerala High Court, seeking a new investigation into the alleged unauthorized access of visuals from a memory card and pen drive while these items were in subordinate court custody. The victim argued that the inquiry report into the incident suggested an incomplete and biased investigation, failing to meet the High Court's directives for a fair and thorough probe.
The victim argued for the report's dismissal and pressed for a new investigation to be conducted by a Special Investigation Team (SIT), supervised by the High Court. This, she asserted, was crucial to uphold the integrity of the law, preserve the purity of the legal process, and safeguard her right to privacy. The survivor emphasized that altering the hash value of the memory card while it was in court custody constituted a violation of her fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution.
In the 2017 case, there are 10 accused, including actor Dileep, with seven already arrested by the police. Dileep was subsequently arrested and released on bail. The actress-victim, known for her work in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam films, was abducted and allegedly molested in her car for two hours by individuals who forcibly entered the vehicle on the night of February 17, 2017.
