The Kerala High Court Collegium has recommended the elevation of five judicial officers, including Judge Honey M Varghese, as High Court judges. The recommendations are based on the seniority of district judges.

The other officers recommended are P S Sasikumar (Thrissur), K K Balakrishnan (Ernakulam), N Harikumar (Pathanamthitta) and S Naseera (Thiruvananthapuram).

Judge Honey M Varghese is known for presiding over the high-profile 2017 actress assault case during her tenure as Principal District and Sessions Judge in Ernakulam. She was later transferred to Alappuzha in the same capacity.

Initially appointed as a CBI Special Court judge, she was assigned the actress assault case in 2019 following a request from the survivor for a woman judge to oversee the trial. Though judicial postings typically change every three years, she continued in the role beyond the usual tenure to ensure continuity in the proceedings of the complex and long-running case.

She delivered the verdict on December 8, 2025, sentencing the first six accused, including the prime accused Pulsar Suni, to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for their role in the crime. The court also acquitted four others, including actor Dileep, who was the eighth accused in the case.