Reshuffle in district judiciary: Honey M Varghese, judge in actress assault case, transferred to Alappuzha

Kochi: As part of the transfer and posting of Principal District & Sessions Judges in the District Judiciary, the High Court has issued administrative orders for a reshuffle. Honey M Varghese, the Ernakulam Principal District and Sessions Judge who presided over the high-profile 2017 actress assault case, has been transferred as Principal District and Sessions Judge to Alappuzha.

In a direct swap of roles, KK Balakrishnan, who is serving as the Alappuzha Principal District and Sessions Judge, will move to Ernakulam to take over the Principal Sessions Court. Additionally, the High Court has appointed PS Sasikumar, the Thodupuzha Principal District and Sessions Judge, to the same post in Thrissur.

During her tenure in Ernakulam, Judge Honey M Varghese presided over one of Kerala’s most high-profile and controversial trials. Originally appointed as a CBI Special Court Judge, she was assigned to the 2017 Actress Assault Case in 2019 following a specific request from the survivor for a woman judge to preside over the trial. Although judicial transfers typically occur every three years, Honey M Varghese remained in her post for an extended duration to ensure the completion of the long-running and complex trial.

The transfer comes more than two months after she delivered the landmark verdict on December 8, 2025. In that ruling, the court sentenced the first six accused persons, including the prime accused, Pulsar Suni, to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for their direct involvement in the crime. However, the verdict also resulted in the acquittal of four other individuals, most notably the eighth accused, actor Dileep.