Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 23 (IANS) The Kerala government has issued orders to file an appeal in the High Court challenging the trial court verdict in the actress assault case, in which actor Dileep and three others were acquitted.

The decision follows the acceptance of recommendations made by the State Police Chief (DGP) and the Special Public Prosecutor, with the government granting formal approval on Tuesday.

According to the DGP and the Special Prosecutor, the trial court had rejected crucial digital evidence on what were described as flimsy and purely technical grounds.

The government is of the view that the evidence was not subjected to a proper legal appreciation and that serious errors were committed in the assessment of key materials placed before the court.

These lapses, both legal and technical in nature, will be specifically challenged in the appeal.

The appeal will be filed against the judgment of the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court, which acquitted Dileep, the eighth accused, along with three others, while convicting the prime accused, Pulsar Suni and five co-accused.

The six convicts were sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for the brutal abduction and sexual assault of the actress.

The trial court held that the prosecution failed to conclusively establish the charge of criminal conspiracy, leading to the acquittal of Dileep and the other accused.

However, the prosecution and the investigation team have maintained that they possess strong circumstantial and documentary evidence linking the accused to the conspiracy.

They have expressed confidence that these aspects can be effectively established before the High Court. Official sources indicated that the decision to expedite the appeal process was taken shortly after the survivor met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

The government is understood to have taken serious note of the concerns raised by the survivor during the meeting, particularly regarding the rejection of key evidence and the broader implications of the verdict.

The state plans to file the appeal soon after the High Court reopens following the Christmas vacation. Given the gravity of the crime and its wider social implications, especially concerning women’s safety and the criminal justice system, the government has decided to pursue all available legal remedies to challenge the acquittal.

The appeal, officials said, will underline the need for a comprehensive reappraisal of the evidence and seek judicial intervention to correct what the state believes are substantial errors in the trial court’s judgment.

–IANS

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