Speedy trial in actress attack case: Accused opposes; court disagrees

KOCHI: The

Kerala high court

on Thursday declined to recall its order that the trial in actress attack case should be completed within six months.


Justice Alexander Thomas declined to recall the directive issued on Tuesday after second accused Martin raised such a demand on Thursday. The demand was raised by a counsel representing Martin when the court began the day’s hearing on Thursday morning.

Senior public prosecutor Suman Chakravarthy, who was present in the court, immediately opposed the demand and argued that it is an attempt by the accused to delay the trial and that the accused in the case have been trying to delay the proceedings from the initial stage itself.

Responding to the demand for recalling its order, the court said the cat is out of the bag and that no changes can be made to the order once it is signed by the judge. The court also asked why the accused is opposing a faster trial. It was alleged in Martin’s petition seeking bail that there is inordinate delay in beginning the trial despite the investigation team filing the chargesheet. It is due to such a contention that an order was issued for finishing the trial within six months, the court said.

The order for speeding up the trial was issued by the court on Tuesday while dismissing the bail plea of Martin, who is the second accused. It was the 9th time that bail was being denied to Martin.

While ordering to expedite the trial, the court had said that right to a fair trial is part of an accused’s right to life and a timely trial is therefore required.

Martin had contended that it was he who took the actress to the main witness and that he had not tried to flee from the probe. Actor Dileep, who is a key accused in the case, was released on bail after 85 days and he is acting in movies and attending programmes while he has been in jail for over two years since his arrest on February 18, 2017, he had argued.