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

Kochi: The Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court on Tuesday rejected a plea by the accused in the 2018 Abhimanyu murder case seeking an in-camera trial, paving the way for the trial proceedings to formally begin on October 15.

Principal Sessions Judge K K Balakrishnan, while dismissing the application, held that the case was not fit to be tried in-camera. Earlier on September 15, the court had reserved its order on the plea.

The accused sought restrictions on media and public entry into the courtroom, as well as a ban on photographing them. They argued that an open trial could affect their future lives and potentially influence witnesses. They also sought restrictions on student gatherings near the court complex, citing its proximity to Maharaja’s College, where Abhimanyu was a student.

The prosecution strongly opposed the plea. Special Public Prosecutor G Mohanraj argued that in-camera proceedings are statutory safeguards primarily provided in cases involving sexual assault and offences registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The prosecution maintained that persons accused of murder could not claim such a privilege and contended that none of the grounds raised by the defence legally justified an in-camera trial.

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. The HC had issued the direction on a plea filed by Abhimanyu’s mother, Bhoopathy.

The examination of the first two witnesses is scheduled for October 15, the opening day of the trial. Depositions of all 156 witnesses will then be recorded day by day, except on court holidays. The 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) for voluntarily causing hurt. The charge was framed following a request by the prosecution.

All 16 accused had pleaded not guilty when the court formally framed charges 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.

The court earlier rejected discharge petitions filed by six of the accused, holding that sufficient material existed to proceed against them. It had also dismissed a petition filed by the prime accused seeking the return of the chargesheet.

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

The attack occurred during clashes between activists of the SFI and the Campus Front of India (CFI), the student wing of the now-banned Popular Front of India (PFI). The violence reportedly began over a dispute over wall graffiti.

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