Alleged leak of actor-assault verdict sparks outcry, KHCAA president seeks judicial probe

Serious questions about judicial confidentiality have been raised regarding the verdict in the 2017 Kerala actress abduction and sexual assault case.

It has been alleged that crucial details of the judgment were leaked nearly a week before it was formally pronounced in open court by Judge Honey Varghese.

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The President of the Kerala High Court Advocates’ Association (KHCAA) has written to the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court, seeking a probe into the contents of an alleged anonymous letter—written in Malayalam and dated December 2—citing a “potential breach of confidentiality” concerning the verdict delivered by the Ernakulam District and Principal Sessions Court in the high-profile case.

The anonymous letter, purportedly from an “Indian citizen,” claimed that the “upcoming verdict scheduled for December 8” would “exclude” actor Dileep (the eighth accused), the seventh accused Charlie Thomas, and the ninth accused Sanilkumar, and that only the remaining six accused would be convicted.

The letter dated December 2 stated 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 ninth accused Sanilkumar alias Mesthiri Sanil,” and that judgment would be delivered only against the remaining six.

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. Notably, the verdict matched the description in the letter without any variation.

The anonymous communication also reportedly contained several disparaging remarks about the judge and raised concerns about the fairness of the judicial process.

KHCAA President Yeshwanth Shenoy forwarded the letter to the Chief Justice, demanding a thorough investigation.

“Irrespective of how the case is decided, the people named in this letter should be verified, and an inquiry ought to be made into how such confidential matters can leak. This will have serious repercussions on the reputation and integrity of the judiciary. I request you to forward the same to the vigilance registrar or any other agency to inquire whether it involves any of the persons named in the letter and how the confidentiality was breached,” Shenoy wrote in his covering note to the Chief Justice.