Actor assault case: HC reserves verdict on lawyer’s plea seeking contempt action against former judge

Kochi: The high court on Wednesday reserved its judgment on a petition filed by T B Mini, the survivor’s counsel in the 2017 actor assault case, seeking suo motu contempt proceedings against former Ernakulam district judge Honey M Varghese for allegedly making derogatory remarks against her in open court during the trial.While considering the petition, Justice P V Kunhikrishnan orally questioned how the court could expunge remarks allegedly made by the trial court judge if they did not form part of the judicial record. The judge also observed that if the petitioner’s grievances concerned the media coverage, she could approach the Press Council of India.According to Mini, on Jan 12, 2026, the presiding officer of the trial court accused her, while she was representing the survivor, of attending the trial for fewer than 10 days, sleeping in court and treating the courtroom as a “resting place”. She alleged that the remarks, made in the presence of the media, were widely broadcast, triggering online abuse, character assassination and professional defamation against her.Mini had earlier approached the advocate general seeking sanction to initiate contempt proceedings. However, the request was rejected on April 22, 2026, with the observation that the judge’s remarks, even if true, amounted to “excessive or extravagant language” and did not meet the legal threshold for criminal contempt under the Contempt of Courts Act. Challenging the decision, Mini approached the HC, contending that the advocate general’s refusal to grant sanction did not curtail the high court’s inherent constitutional power to take suo motu cognisance of the matter.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Kochi | Silver Rate in Kochi | Bank Holidays in Kochi | Public Holidays in KochiStay updated with the latest Kochi news. Download the TOI App.