Advocate T.B. Mini, who appeared for the survivor in the 2017 Actress Assault Case, has moved the Kerala High Court seeking action against trial judge who decided the case, Smt. Honey M. Varghese.

When the matter came up today, Justice P.V. Kunhikrishnan posted the case to tomorrow (November 4) for further consideration.

The plea was moved after the former Advocate General dismissed the petitioner lawyer's petition seeking sanction to initiate criminal contempt proceedings against the respondent judicial officer.

According to the plea, the petitioner became the survivor's lawyer in 2024 and thereafter, she assisted the public prosecutor during trial. It is stated that though she was present for the trial for more than 200 days, the respondent judicial officer made a remark in open court that the petitioner was an absent lawyer, who came to court for less than 10 days.

It is further stated that the remark was made in the presence of other lawyers, court staff and media persons and that it was deliberately made to affect the petitioner's dignity, prestige and decency as a lawyer.

"Within seconds of the said remarks, news channels, both the mainstream media and the fringe YouTube channels and other social media accounts aired the news and resultant abuse of the petitioner continued for days and months. Some social media handles even called the people not to entrust cases with the petitioner. The said public statement of the third respondent was patently uncalled for and was totally false and that adversely affected the petitioner's dignity, reputation and her right to profession as enshrined under Article 19 (1) (g) and Article 21 of the Constitution of India," states the plea.

The petitioner has stated that the judicial officer's remark had made it appear as if she was an incompetent lawyer, unfit to be engaged.

She has sought a direction to the Registrar General of the High Court to accept the contents of her sanction petition as information and place it before the Chief Justice for consideration to initiate suo motu contempt proceedings against the judicial officer.

Additionally, she has prayed for a direction to expunge, delete and strike out the alleged derogatory remarks made by the judicial officer against her and for issuing a notification or press release on the High Court website regarding the expunction of the remarks.

She has also sought directions for taking down the derogatory remarks published as news reports, articles and video-based content.

The petition is moved by Advocate K. Nandini.