2017 Actress Assault Case: Another Kerala High Court Judge Recuses From Hearing Survivor's Plea For Fresh Probe Into 'Memory Card Leak'

Kerala High Court's Dr. Justice Kauser Edappagath on Wednesday (June 10) recused from hearing a plea filed by the survivor in the 2017 Actress Assault Case seeking a fresh and comprehensive probe by SIT into the alleged illegal access of the memory card that contained visuals of the assault.

This development comes after a coordinate bench of Justice Jobin Sebastian had recused from hearing the matter, pursuant to which the plea was listed before Justice  Edappagath. 

When the matter came up today, the Justice Edappagath orally said, "I'll avoid this."

This is the second single judge who has recused from hearing the case. On Monday, Justice Sebastian had recused from hearing the plea as he had held charge as Registrar General (District Judiciary) when a similar complaint was made by the survivor on the administrative side.

In the plea, the petitioner has sought for a direction to constitute a Special Investigation Team with at-least one member with expertise in cyber / digital forensic and to conduct a time bound, effective, fair and comprehensive inquiry or investigation into the unauthorized and illegal access made to the memory card.

Notably, last year the trial court had acquitted actor Dileep an accused in the case, while finding six others guilty.

The case refers to the abduction and sexual assault of an actress in a moving vehicle in the outskirts of Cochin city that occurred on February 17, 2017. The accused persons had also taken videos of the assault and copied into a memory card, which was produced before the Magistrate Court, Aluva by one of the accused, who was later discharged.

The petition is moved by Advocates Bhadra Kumari K.V., Vrinda Grover, Rhuthunanda S. B., Arunima.T.S., Byja E.G.

Case No: WP(Crl.) 871/2026

Case Title: XXX v. State of Kerala and Ors.