Actress attack case: Principal Sessions Court has no jurisdiction to consider case, says prosecution and survivor

KOCHI: The prosecution has told the court that the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court has no jurisdiction to hear the actress assault case. The survivor has also approached the trial court pointing this out. Both the parties submitted an application in this regard to Judge Honey M Rose.

The prosecution contends that the High Court has given permission to the CBI court to try the case. The prosecution also pointed out that the High Court had previously taken a stand that the case cannot be transferred to the Principal Sessions Court due to workload. In the petition, the special prosecutor sought to decide which court has jurisdiction over the case file.

When Honey M Varghese took over as Principal Sessions Judge, Ernakulam, the records of the case were transferred to the Sessions Court. In this regard, the accused were given time to submit their objections. The case is being considered again on August 11.

Last day, the High Court rejected the demand of the survivor to change the judge in the actress assault case. The court also informed that Sessions Judge Honey M Varghese will conduct the trial and issued an order in this regard. After the order, all the case files were transferred from the CBI Special Court, which was conducting the trial, to the Sessions Court.

The actress had come forward demanding that Honey M Varghese be removed from the charge of trial. Following this, the High Court Registrar's Office issued an order rejecting the demand of the actress. In the letter, the actress requested that the case should not be transferred to the Sessions Court.

While working as Ernakulam CBI court judge, Honey M. Varghese was assigned the charge of the trial on the demand of the survivor to have a woman judge. The trial in the CBI court continued despite her promotion as Principal Sessions Judge, Ernakulam. The case was transferred from Ernakulam CBI Court to Principal Sessions Court last day. Earlier, the actress had approached the High Court requesting that the trial court judge be changed, but the verdict was not favourable.