The Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court has dismissed a petition from the accused seeking an in-camera trial for the 2018 Abhimanyu murder case. Judge K K Balakrishnan ruled that defense concerns regarding public presence and media attention were mere apprehensions, setting the trial schedule to examine 156 witnesses beginning October 15.
Nearly eight years after the fatal stabbing of student activist Abhimanyu, the legal proceedings surrounding his murder face a public courtroom. On Tuesday, Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court Judge K K Balakrishnan rejected a defense petition requesting in-camera trial proceedings, clearing the path for an open court examination of the long-delayed case according to reports from Indiatimes and The New Indian Express.
Defense Grounds Dismissed by Judge K K Balakrishnan
The defense counsel had urged the court to hold closed-door proceedings, arguing that a public trial could influence witness testimony and impact the future of the accused. Attorneys also pointed to potential student gatherings on court premises due to the building’s close proximity to Maharaja’s College, where Abhimanyu studied, alongside concerns that individuals might photograph the accused while on bail.
The prosecution strongly opposed these arguments, maintaining that they lacked legal sustainability and noting that murder cases are not fit for in-camera trials, which are typically reserved for sexual assault victims and cases registered under the Pocso Act. According to Indiatimes, the court observed that apprehensions regarding photography, the presence of police on premises, and college proximity cannot be regarded as sufficient grounds for in-camera proceedings. Furthermore, the court noted that the petitioners had not raised these specific reasons during the years since the chargesheet was submitted in 2018 and their subsequent release on bail.
Charges, Witness Timeline, and Maharaja’s College Clash History
The underlying case stems from a violent clash on July 2, 2018, at Maharaja’s College. Abhimanyu, a second-year undergraduate student studying BSc Chemistry and serving as the unit secretary of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), was fatally stabbed during a confrontation involving SFI activists and members of the Campus Front of India—described by The New Indian Express as the student wing of the now-banned Popular Front of India. The prosecution maintains that individuals linked to the Popular Front and Campus Front carried out the killing.
The accused face severe charges including murder, rioting, unlawful assembly, criminal intimidation, destruction of evidence, and causing hurt with dangerous weapons, with all defendants having pleaded not guilty. Following the police filing of the chargesheet in September 2018, the case experienced years of delays before arriving at the current trial schedule.
Open Court Transparency and Upcoming Witness Examinations
Emphasizing the foundational principles of the judicial system, the court stated that hearing cases in an open environment promotes transparency, fairness, and impartiality while strengthening public confidence. Although the requirement for an open trial is not absolute and can be bypassed if the interests of justice demand it, no such compelling necessity was found in this instance.
With the legal hurdle cleared, the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court has finalized a demanding timetable to process the testimony. The trial will commence on October 15, during which the court will examine a total of 156 witnesses, with the examination process expected to wrap up by November 12.
