Malayalam film director Baiju Kottarakkara on Monday, October 10, appeared before the Kerala High Court in the suo motu contempt proceedings initiated against him and reportedly tendered an unconditional apology. The HC, on October 8, initiated the proceedings stating that he made abusive remarks about the trial court judge hearing the 2017 actor abduction and assault case, in a discussion on television.
"I have great respect for the judiciary and the proceedings of the court, I never committed any contempt in my talk or delivered any speech to characterise or abuse the ability of the Judiciary and to prejudice the Trial Court Judge. However, I am tendering an unconditional apology before the Court," he stated in the affidavit filed by him through his lawyer B Mohan Lal.
The director appeared before Justices AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and Mohammed Nias CP, who posted the case for further hearing on October 25, granting him two weeks to explain his remarks. The director had also moved a plea seeking to dispense him from appearing in person at the court. However, the court refused to grant the plea and asked him to be present at the court for the next hearing.
In the suo motu proceedings, the court had said that Baiju’s remarks intended to ‘characterise the judge’ who is conducting the actor assault trial, and was to scandalise the judiciary. "Your comments tend to scandalise and lower the authority of the Court. You have thereby committed criminal contempt of Court as defined under Section 2(c) of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, which is punishable under Section 12 thereof," according to a Livelaw report.
According to reports, Baiju Kottarakara, on May 9, participated in a discussion conducted by a channel and spoke about judge Honey M Varghese, who is hearing the 2017 actor assault case. The case pertains to the abduction and assault of a Malayalam actor. The abduction and assault was led by Pulsar Suni, and the attack was video-recorded. Actor Dileep was later arrested by police in the case and was listed as the eighth accused and the alleged mastermind behind the attack.
The survivor in the case had earlier approached the Kerala High Court alleging misconduct by the judge. She also sought a transfer of the case to a different judge citing bias on the part of the judge, but the HC refused to transfer the case.