Supreme Court has adjourned to December 11 the plea by accused Malayalam film actor Dileep seeking a copy of memory card which has visuals of the alleged assault of a film actress inside a moving car outside Kochi in February last year.
Justices AM Khanwilkar and Hemant Gupta gave the fresh date after counsel for the accused Mukul Rohatgi sought time to prove that the digital evidence was a critical factor in the case. The Kerala government however has opposed the actor’s plea on the grounds that he was the chief conspirator in the alleged crime and therefore should not have access to the card. opposes actor Dileep’s plea. The government says that the actor is the chief conspirator. Dileep had sought access to a memory card that contains images of the crime which are said to be critical evidence. Earlier he had moved the lower courts and the Kerala HC both of which ruled that they were too sensitive and cannot be handed over to the accused. At today’s hearing, Mukul Rohatgi, counsel for the actor sought access to the card, saying that if he had the card, he could prove that the actor had been framed. But SC agreed with Kerala HC that video of assault of actress is too sensitive to let out. Rohatgi then sought time till Dec 11 to prove memory card is document u/s 207 CrPC.
Dileep was arrested on July 10 last year and was in judicial custody for 85. Days. He had moved the Kerala HC, seeking a CBI investigation into the case after accusing the Special Investigation Team of the Kerala Police of being ‘unfair and biased”.
—India Legal Bureau