Kochi, 08 June (H.S.) :A significant development unfolded in the sensational actress assault case on Monday after a Kerala High Court judge recused himself from hearing a petition filed by the survivor seeking a fresh investigation into the alleged leakage of visuals stored in the case’s memory card.

Justice Jobin Sebastian withdrew from considering the petition, which was recently filed by the survivor before the High Court. The matter is now expected to be placed before another bench for further consideration.

The survivor has sought a court-monitored reinvestigation into allegations that sensitive visuals contained in the memory card were leaked during the course of the investigation and trial proceedings. In her petition, she argued that there were deliberate attempts to derail the case related to the alleged leak and called for a comprehensive probe under the supervision of the court.

The petition was filed by senior Supreme Court advocate Vrinda Grover on behalf of the survivor. It comes amid renewed concerns over the handling and security of digital evidence in one of Kerala’s most closely watched criminal cases.

According to the petition, the memory card containing the assault visuals was allegedly accessed unlawfully on three separate occasions. The survivor has contended that the leak raises serious questions about the safeguarding of crucial evidence and warrants an independent investigation.

The controversy surrounding the memory card has been a subject of legal scrutiny for several years. Earlier, allegations had surfaced that the trial court failed to comply fully with Supreme Court directions regarding the safe custody of the electronic evidence.

On November 29, 2019, the Supreme Court had issued specific instructions to the trial court on the handling of the memory card. The apex court directed that the device be preserved under stringent security measures and that no mobile phones or electronic gadgets capable of recording or copying the visuals should be permitted during its examination.

The court had also ordered that the memory card be examined only with the assistance of forensic experts from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL). These safeguards were intended to prevent any unauthorised access, duplication or dissemination of the sensitive material.

The same security protocols were reportedly followed when the accused, including actor Dileep and others facing trial in the case, were permitted to view the visuals as part of the judicial process.

With the judge’s recusal, the survivor’s plea for a fresh investigation into the alleged leak will now be heard by another bench of the Kerala High Court.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman