Kerala actor abduction case: Trial to renew from January 21, 116 witnesses to be examined
By Express News Service
KOCHI: After practically a three-month halt, the trial within the sensational Kerala actor abduction case during which actor Dileep is an accused will resume on January 21. The Additional Special Sessions Court on Monday mounted the schedule of the trial during which 116 witnesses might be examined from January 21 to March 17.
On Monday, the court docket heard the petition filed by the prosecution to change the IPC offences charged towards Dileep. According to the present prices, Dileep claimed he’s a witness of a conspiracy hatched by the opposite accused individuals. The counsel of Dileep objected to any alteration within the prices within the case.
The court docket reserved its verdict on the petition to Friday (January 15). The court docket may also contemplate the petitions for cancelling Dileep’s bail and the bail pleas of two different accused individuals on Friday.
Later, the court docket scheduled the date for inspecting the witnesses from January 21.
On January 21, accused-turned-approver Vipin Lal might be examined. While Dileep’s spouse Kavya Madhavan might be examined on January 28, filmmaker and his shut pal Nadirsha might be examined on February 3. Apart from 116 witnesses, the court docket will look at 9 investigation officers within the later levels of the trial.
Earlier, the court docket had examined 80 witnesses. The trial might be held behind closed doorways as a part of in-camera proceedings. The trial had come to a halt since October 2020 after the prosecution demanded altering the trial court docket alleging it was biased. However, each the Kerala High Court and Supreme Court dominated out altering the trial court docket following which Special Public Prosecutor A Sureshan resigned. Former CBI prosecutor AN Anil Kumar took cost as Special Public Prosecutor final week.
The stunning incident occurred in February 2017 when a Malayalam actress was kidnapped and raped in a transferring automobile whereas she was travelling from Thrissur to Kochi. Actor Dileep was arrested in November 2017 and was in jail after being remanded in judicial custody. He acquired bail 80 days after his arrest. There are 10 different accused going through the trial.
The Supreme Court has set a deadline to finish the trial within the case earlier than February 4, 2021. The trial which began in January 2020 was affected as a result of COVID-induced lockdown. Though the trial resumed in August 2020, as a result of a petition on altering the trial court docket filed by the prosecution, it got here to a standstill once more.
