Actor assault case: HC orders copy of memory card inquiry report be handed over to survivor

Kochi: In yet another setback for actor Dileep in the 2017 assault case, the High Court on Wednesday directed the District Sessions Judge, who conducted an inquiry regarding the alleged change of the hash value of the memory card containing visuals of the crime while it was in the court's chest, to hand over a copy of the report to the survivor.

The complainant had approached the court seeking a copy of the inquiry report, following which Justice K Babu accepted the plea. The investigation was completed in early January. The hash value changes when a memory card is used in different devices to access its content.

Dileep, who is the eighth accused in the case, had sought to label the report as a confidential document. He also requested the court against handing over a copy of the inquiry report to the survivor. In case of providing the complainant with a copy, Dileep demanded that he too be given a copy of the report. However, Justice Babu dismissed all the requests.

Now, the survivor will get a clear picture of who accessed the memory card. She will have to file an application with the District Principal Sessions Judge for a copy of the report.

The complainant had earlier approached the High Court alleging the footage on the memory card had been accessed, copied and transferred illegally, following which the District Sessions Judge was directed to conduct an inquiry and file a report on the matter within a month.

During the examination conducted at the Thiruvananthapuram Forensic Lab, it was found that the hash value of the memory card had changed. Similarly, the SFSL report stated that the memory card was accessed illegally several times after court hours and that it was checked in the night and on the phone.

Though the survivor had approached the Sessions Court to obtain a copy of the report, it held that the document was confidential and could not be provided. Subsequently, a petition was filed in the High Court seeking a copy.