The Malayalam woman actor who was abducted and sexually assaulted in 2017 approached Kerala High Court Wednesday, seeking a change of the trial court hearing the case.
This comes after the trial court turned down a similar demand of the prosecution.
The high court is likely to consider the petition on Friday.
Additional Sessions Judge (CBI Special Court) Honey M Varghese is currently hearing the trial. The high court had assigned the trial to this court following the actor’s demand for a woman judge for in-camera proceedings.
The woman actor has alleged in her petition that the trial court is biased and hostile.
The petitioner has alleged that the copy of the Central Forensic Science Laboratory report was handed over to the counsel of the eighth accused (actor Dileep) on a day when there was no posting for the trial without notice to the prosecution. She has also alleged that the trial court remained a mute spectator when the petitioner was being examined and harassed by the counsel of the eighth accused and that the court had failed to record certain portions of the testimonials deposed by the petitioner, deliberately and without any lawful jurisdiction.
She has also alleged that the court failed to uphold the spirit of in-camera trial, without restricting the number of lawyers in the court and also made scandalous allegations against the prosecutor and the investigating agency.
Earlier this month, the prosecution moved a petition in the trial court demanding change of the court.
On October 24, the trial court dismissed the petition, saying the prosecutor was absent in the case and the lawyer representing the prosecutor was reluctant to argue the case.
Actor Dileep is one of the accused in the case. The prosecution has stated in its charge sheet that Dileep conspired to abduct and assault the woman actor and assigned the task to a gang. During the ongoing trial, a few prosecution witnesses have turned hostile.