Key portions of actress assault case leaked? Advocate body cites a letter received prior to the verdict
The letter was sent to the Kerala High Court Advocates' Association (KHCAA) which forwarded it to the Chief Justice on December 8, the same day the Ernakulam District and Principal Sessions Court pronounced its order.
Ernakulam: A top advocates body based in Ernakulam has raised serious concerns about judicial confidentiality in the 2017 actor abduction and sexual assault case verdict. This after the advocates’ body on Tuesday confirmed it had received an anonymous letter detailing the crucial content of the verdict in the case, a week before it was pronounced.
In the letter that dated December 2 which was reportedly sent by "an Indian citizen”, claimed that "the upcoming verdict scheduled for December 8, 2025, in the high-profile case would exclude seventh accused Charly Thomas, eighth accused Gopalakrishnan alias Dileep, and the ninth accused Sanilkumar alias Mesthiri Sanil”, and that judgment would be delivered only against the remaining six accused.
Association president Yeshwanth Shenoy confirmed that the association did receive the letter and that it was forwarded to the Chief Justice for appropriate action. Describing the situation as a potential "serious breach of confidentiality”, Shenoy stressed that an inquiry ought to be initiated to determine how such sensitive information could have leaked.
"I have not yet received a response from the High Court. The content of the letter has the potential to denigrate the judicial system. Hence, a proper investigation is needed to find the origin of the letter,” he said.
"This will have serious repercussions in judiciary”
The letter claimed that "two senior Kerala High Court judges and another judge, who is in charge of Ernakulam district, have extended support to her in all matters, which is what encourages the sessions judge to engage in such acts that undermine justice.
The letter alleged that "Judge Honey M. Varghese prepared the judgment through her close associate, Shirley, and, by showing it to Sharath, a hotel businessman and the close companion of the 8th accused, secured a deal, and is going to pronounce this order on December 8, 2025.”
In its letter to the Chief Justice, the KHCAA stressed that, regardless of the case’s outcome, the individuals named in the letter must be verified. Pointing out that "this will have serious repercussions on the reputation of the judiciary and its integrity”, the association requested the chief justice to forward the same to the vigilance registrar or any other agency to thoroughly probe the entire episode.