Abhimanyu murder case: Kochi court rejects in-camera trial plea; proceedings to begin on Oct 15

Kochi: The Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court has rejected a plea by the accused in the 2018 Abhimanyu murder case seeking an in-camera trial, holding that the apprehensions raised by them did not provide sufficient grounds to depart from the general principle of an open court hearing.

Principal Sessions Judge K K Balakrishnan dismissed the petition on Tuesday, clearing the way for the trial to begin on October 15. The proceedings are scheduled to continue until November 12, 2026.

The accused had sought restrictions on the entry of the media and the public into the courtroom, besides a ban on photographing them. Thirteen of the accused approached the court with the plea on September 16, citing continued media coverage and public discussion of the case, the presence of students from Maharaja’s College near the court complex and the circulation of their photographs.

They argued that these circumstances could affect the fairness of the proceedings and the independence of witnesses. They also pointed to the college’s proximity to the court, around 30 metres away, and claimed that the presence of students had led to confrontations and tension with members of the Bar Association earlier.

However, the court found no compelling material to support the apprehensions raised by the accused.

“All these are mere apprehensions, which do not constitute compelling reasons or circumstances warranting an in-camera trial in this case. In the absence of any specific material demonstrating that an open hearing would prejudice the fair and proper administration of justice, there is no justification for departing from the general rule of an open court trial,” the judgement stated.

The court also observed that the accused had been out on bail and living at their respective places after the chargesheet was filed in 2018, while media reports on the case had continued from the day of the incident. The judge noted that the grounds now cited by the accused had not been raised before the court at any point prior to the filing of the petition.

The judge further noted that the alleged incidents of confrontation between Maharaja’s College students and members of the Bar Association had not been brought to the court’s notice by the association. Even if such incidents had occurred, the court said, there was no material connecting them to the present case.

The prosecution had strongly opposed the plea. Special Public Prosecutor G Mohanraj argued that in-camera proceedings are statutory safeguards primarily prescribed in cases involving certain sexual offences and proceedings under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The prosecution contended that the accused in a murder case could not claim such a privilege merely based on apprehensions about publicity or the presence of students near the court.

However, the court noted that the issue has to be considered from the standpoint of ensuring a fair trial. While the law provides for in-camera proceedings in certain categories of cases, the court said the broader principle of open justice must be balanced with the need, where warranted, to protect privacy and the interests of justice.

Trial schedule
The court had finalised the trial schedule on August 21, following a July directive of the  High Court to complete the proceedings within four months, following a petition filed by Abhimanyu’s mother, Bhoopathy.

The examination of the first two witnesses is scheduled for October 15, the opening day of the trial. The court will thereafter record the depositions of all 156 witnesses on a day-to-day basis, except on court holidays.

The witness examination is scheduled to be completed within 18 working days, by November 12.

Earlier, on August 13, all 16 accused appeared before the court after it expressed displeasure over their failure to attend two consecutive hearings. During the hearing, the court read out an additional charge under Section 323 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), relating to voluntarily causing hurt. The charge was framed following a request by the prosecution.

All 16 accused had pleaded not guilty when charges were formally framed against them on July 6, 2026. They face charges including murder, voluntarily causing hurt with dangerous weapons, criminal intimidation, destruction of evidence, rioting and unlawful assembly.

2018 campus murder
Abhimanyu, a second-year B.Sc. Chemistry student and SFI unit secretary at Maharaja’s College, was fatally stabbed on July 2, 2018.

The prosecution case is that the attack occurred during clashes between activists of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the Campus Front of India, the student wing of the now-banned Popular Front of India (PFI). The violence was reportedly triggered by a dispute over wall graffiti.

The murder sparked widespread public outrage and renewed debate over campus violence in Kerala. Although the police filed the chargesheet in September 2018, the trial was delayed for several years amid procedural and legal proceedings.