2017 actress assault survivor opposes judge’s elevation to Kerala HC, moves President and CJI

The survivor of the 2017 actress abduction and sexual assault case has petitioned President Droupadi Murmu and the Chief Justice of India, urging them to halt the proposed elevation of Honey M. Varghese as a judge of the Kerala High Court.

Honey M. Varghese, currently serving as Principal District and Sessions Judge in Alappuzha, had earlier presided over the trial of the actress assault case while serving in the Ernakulam District and Sessions Court. Her name is among five judicial officers recently recommended for elevation by the High Court collegium.

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In her petition, the survivor has raised serious concerns regarding the conduct of the trial and objected to the elevation while related matters are still under consideration. She has alleged irregularities during the proceedings conducted under Varghese’s supervision.

The petition specifically flags concerns that a memory card containing sensitive visuals of the assault was allegedly accessed without authorisation while in judicial custody. The survivor has also expressed a lack of confidence in the trial court, alleging that the presiding judge behaved rudely towards witnesses and demonstrated bias during the proceedings.

Maintaining that she has not received full justice, the survivor further voiced concern over the reported leakage of sensitive video evidence related to the case.

On December 8, 2025, the trial court delivered its verdict, sentencing six accused—including the prime accused, Pulsar Suni—to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment. Four others, including actor Dileep, who had been named as the eighth accused, were acquitted.