Thiruvananthapuram Dec 16 (IANS) Following the verdict in the actor assault case, the survivor met Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at his official residence here on Tuesday.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister assured her that the people of Kerala stand firmly with her and that the State government would move an appeal against the trial court’s verdict at the earliest.

He also said the government would take action against the video released by the second accused, Martin.

The government has already initiated steps for filing an appeal against the trial court order in the case.

The prosecution is preparing to challenge key aspects of the verdict, including the acquittal of the eighth accused, actor Dileep, and others.

A detailed report outlining the legal grounds and possibilities for appeal has been prepared by the Special Public Prosecutor. Based on this assessment, procedures for drafting the appeal after examining the trial court judgment in detail are underway.

The trial court sentenced six accused to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment.

However, taking into account the period of under-trial detention already undergone, the remaining term of imprisonment was reduced.

Accordingly, the first accused, Pulsar Suni and the second accused, Martin, will have to undergo 13 more years of imprisonment each.

The third accused, Manikandan, and the fourth accused, Vijeesh, have been sentenced to a remaining term of 16 years and six months each, while the fifth and sixth accused, Salim and Pradeep, will have to undergo 18 more years in prison.

Earlier in the day, the victim in the case took part in the Christmas celebration called by Vijayan. Adding a new dimension to the case, the investigating officer, Baiju Paulose, has informed the Director General of Police about an anonymous letter alleging that details of the verdict were leaked even before it was formally pronounced.

Earlier, the president of the High Court Advocates’ Association had lodged a complaint with the Chief Justice after receiving the letter.

However, the issue triggered internal differences within the association, with no consensus emerging on the course of action.

–IANS

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