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Ernakulam District and Principal Sessions Judge Honey M. Varghese, who delivered the verdict successful the Kerala histrion rape case, connected Monday (January 12, 2026) criticised the counsel of the subsister implicit her alleged lack during astir of the days of the trial.
The tribunal made the remarks portion considering a contempt of tribunal petition filed by the subsister successful the lawsuit against erstwhile Director General of Police (DGP) R. Sreelekha for her nationalist comments favouring histrion Dileep, who was the 8th accused successful the case.
T.B. Mini, the survivor's advocate, was absent successful the tribunal erstwhile the tribunal made the observations against her.
The judge, portion pointing retired her absence, alleged that the survivor’s counsel had appeared successful the tribunal for little than 10 days. Her beingness was constricted to astir fractional an hr connected days erstwhile she attended the proceedings, the justice said successful the unfastened court. The justice went connected to authorities that the lawyer was often recovered sleeping during the constricted clip she was contiguous successful the court. She besides stated that the lawyer seemed to person considered the tribunal a resting place. The lawyer was besides absent connected December 12, 2025 erstwhile the tribunal awarded punishment to the convicts, tribunal sources pointed out.
Dileep was acquitted by the tribunal against each the transgression charges levelled against him. It recovered six others—N.S. Sunil, alias Pulsur Suni, 2nd accused Martin Antony, 3rd accused B. Manikandan, 4th accused V.P. Vijeesh, 5th accused H. Salim, alias Vadiwal Salim, and sixth accused Pradeep—guilty connected each charges levelled against them, including pack rape.
Ms. Mini rejected the allegation by the justice that she was contiguous lone for little than 10 days of the trial. “I was actively contiguous during the hearings and had worked intimately with the nationalist prosecutors aft I became the counsel of the survivor,” she said. Terming the comments by the tribunal ‘unfortunate’ and ‘against the decorum expected from the judiciary,’ the lawyer said that she could not look for the proceedings successful the proceedings tribunal connected Monday arsenic she was appearing earlier the Kerala High Court successful different case. “However, I had deputed 2 of my juniors and they were acceptable with the arguments,” she said. She recalled that 2 Special Public Prosecutors, who had appeared successful the lawsuit earlier, had submitted their resignation alleging “uncongenial atmosphere” successful the court.
