Former CBI Special Public Prosecutor V. N. Anilkumar will take charge as the special prosecutor in the sensational actor rape case.
It was following the resignation of A Sureshan, the Special Public Prosecutor, who stepped down from the post after complaining that the trial court, which was considering the case was behaving in a biased manner that Mr. Anilkumar was appointed.
Though the State had moved the Kerala High Court and the Supreme Court seeking a change of court, the plea didn't find favour with the courts.
Mr. Anilkumar, who was adjudged as be best prosecutor in the CBI in 2007, was involved in the conduct of the Lavlin case, ISRO espionage case and also the Sister Abhaya murder case during its pre-trial stages. He had also served as the prosecutor in the SSLC question paper leakage case of 2005 and a few murder cases.
Mr. Anilkumar refused to comment on the complaints raised by the earlier prosecutor in the case and said those aspects need not be a matter of concern for him.
The new prosecutor would appear before the Special Judge considering the case on January 8, the day on which the court has posted the case, he said.
Incidentally, Honey M. Varghese, the Special Judge, who considered the case on Monday, posted it to be considered after four days as the Investigation Officer submitted that the proceedings for appointing the new prosecutor will be completed shortly.
The prosecution had earlier examined around 80 witnesses including prominent movie actors in the case, which is being conducted as an in-camera proceeding to protect the identity and social standing of the victim.
Actor Dileep has been arraigned as the eighth accused in the case. He has been accused of conspiracy in the case.
The prosecution case is that the accused kidnapped and raped the actor in a moving car.
The Supreme Court had earlier directed the Special Court to complete the trial in the case on or before February 4, this year.
