'Survivor's engagement ring should be returned, pendrive containing video must be kept secure'

KOCHI: Judge Honey M. Varghese of the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court prepared a 1,700-page judgment to deliver the sentence in the actress assault case. All six accused were sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 50,000 each. The punishment applies to first accused Pulsar Suni, second accused Martin Antony, third accused B. Manikandan, fourth accused V.P. Vijesh, fifth accused H. Saleem, and sixth accused Pradeep. The court opted for the minimum sentence after reviewing the background and past history of the accused.

The prosecution had sought the maximum penalty-life imprisonment- but the court did not agree. Pulsar Suni has already served more than seven years in jail, and this period will be counted toward his sentence. The judgment also directs that Rs 5 lakh from the fine amount be handed over to the survivor. Additionally, the court ordered the return of the survivor’s engagement ring, which had been seized as evidence. The ring was visible in the video recorded by the accused on the day of the assault. The investigating officer has been instructed to keep the pen drive containing the video securely and privately until the appeal process concludes.

The sentencing came after a long wait and extensive arguments. Although the court had planned to announce the verdict at 3:30 p.m., technical delays in printing the judgment pushed the announcement to around 4:45 p.m.