Actor assault case: Dileep files appeal against single judge’s order

Dileep, actor and one of the accused in the 2017 actor sexual assault case, on Monday filed an appeal before a Division Bench of the High Court against a single judge’s order directing the Ernakulam District and Sessions Judge to give the survivor certified copies of the statements of those examined during the inquiry into the allegation of unauthorised access made to the memory card containing videos of the alleged sexual assault.

‘Impermissible’

In his appeal, Dileep alleged that the single judge had issued the order on an interim application filed by the survivor in a finally disposed case. It was impermissible. The case finally disposed could not be reopened by filing interim applications and such practice had been deprecated by the Supreme Court.

Besides, she had not produced a copy of the inquiry report along with another interim application seeking to quash the inquiry report. The survivor had levelled allegations against the inquiry report and the district judge and other judges without producing the inquiry report, Dileep said.

‘Scathing attack’

In her affidavit filed along the interim application, the survivor had levelled a scathing attack and disparaging comments on the trial judge and judicial officers, and the court staff.

In fact, the filing of an interim application seeking new relief in a finally disposed writ petition was a clear attempt for forum shopping by the survivor, he said.

Dileep also submitted that the order of the single judge enabled the survivor to obtain depositions of the witnesses examined enabling her to selectively publish them and unleash false propaganda against him, as well as against the ongoing trial and the judiciary.