Kerala HC dismisses actor Jagathy's plea in Vithura case

Kochi, Mar 27 (UNI) Kerala High Court today dismissed the petition filed by film actor Jagathy Sreekumar and two other accused challenging the charges framed by the Kottayam additional sessions court against them in the Vithura sex scandal case.

Justice K Thankappan, while dismissing the plea, said the charges framed now would show the materials collected by the investigating agency to establish the guilt of the accused persons.

The contention raised by the accused to the effect that the victim was not a minor girl at the time of the incident and that she consented to sexual intercourse and that she had not filed a complaint till she was arrested by police for immoral trafficking, were matters to be considered by the trial court, the judge said.

The High Court is not expected to analyse or appreciate the evidence by involving the discretionary power under section 482 of the criminal procedure code, the judge said.

The prosecution case was that a minor girl was raped by 68 persons during July 1996.

UNI XR ARC VV LR MSJ RN1927