Judges Recuse from 2017 Actress Assault Case Memory Card Access Petition

The Kerala High Court is facing complications in the 2017 actress assault case as two judges have recused themselves from hearing a petition filed by the survivor. The petition seeks a comprehensive investigation into unauthorized access to a memory card containing evidence of the assault. Justice Jobin Sebastian recused himself on June 9, 2026, citing prior involvement as Registrar General. Following this, Dr. Justice Kauser Edappagath also recused himself on June 10, 2026. The survivor's petition calls for the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) with cyber forensics expertise to investigate the alleged illegal access. The case involves the abduction and sexual assault of an actress in 2017, with recorded footage that has become a focal point in the ongoing legal proceedings. The trial court previously acquitted one accused while convicting six others. The survivor had previously approached the court in 2022, resulting in a fact-finding inquiry that is now being challenged.

Key Points: • Two Kerala High Court judges have recused themselves from the actress assault case petition. • The survivor seeks a new investigation into unauthorized access to critical evidence. • The case involves serious allegations of digital evidence tampering related to a 2017 assault.