Vijay Babu's anticipatory bail plea: Kerala HC holds in-camera hearing

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Monday conducted an in-camera hearing on the anticipatory bail plea of film actor-producer Vijay Babu, who has been accused of sexually assaulting a young actress. The hearing will continue on Tuesday.

Justice Bechu Kurian is considering the anticipatory bail pleas filed by Vijay Babu in the case of assaulting the actress and in another one on revealing the actress' identity.

Gracious Kuriakose, the Additional Director General of Prosecution who appeared for the government, informed the court that as some important information needs to be submitted, it would be appropriate to hold the court proceedings in-camera to protect the privacy of the survivor.

With the HC allowing this, even the other advocates left the courtroom. The online streaming of the proceedings was also avoided as the hearing continued.

The police filed a case after the actress lodged a complaint, alleging that Babu had sexually assaulted her on March 16 and 22. Another case was filed after Babu revealed the actress' name during a Facebook Live. Though the case was filed on April 22, Babu left for Dubai on April 24. The court, which considered the plea, granted interim protection from arrest, and he returned to the state.