Aju Varghese in the dock: Actress accepts it as an honest mistake, court doesn't

Malayalam actor Aju Varghese had approached the Kerala High Court to quash the FIR registered against him for naming the survivor of the sensational Kerala assault incident. In an affidavit, the actress has stated: "Aju is my friend. He did not have any malicious interest in revealing my name". the affidavit reads. However, the court has cleared that the case cannot be dismissed just because the accused made a compromise with the survivor. "Merely by reaching a settlement with the victim actress, the case against the accused does not cease to exist," the court said.

However, the court has said the case cannot be dismissed just because the accused said so. "Merely by reaching a settlement with the victim actress, the case against the accused does not cease to exist," the court said.

The court has also asked for the opinion of the complainant Girish Babu from Kalamassery on his opinion on the dismissal of the case. The case has been registered against the actor under the section 228 (A) [disclosure of identity of the victim of certain offences] of the Indian Penal Code. The investigators had recently recorded Aju's statements and had even seized his mobile phone.

Read more: Why Kerala Women's Commission registered case against Dileep, Aju Varghese and Salim Kumar?

Aju drew flak faced for revealing the identity of the actress while expressing his solidarity to actor Dileep. Though he has apologised for his mistake, a case was registered against him in keeping with the law.

A case has also been filed against Malayalam actor Salim Kumar and director Saji Nandiyat over their remarks on the actress on public platforms and social media. Salim, who had suggested a lie detection test on the actress had also apologised for his remark on Facebook. 

Later, on July 10, Dileep was arrested after the investigators collected "irrefutable evidence". However, the first class magistrate in Angamaly and the Kerala High Court denied the bail plea of the actor.