The Kerala High Court has granted the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court one last extension of four months to complete proceedings in the 2018 murder case of SFI leader Abhimanyu, whose killing during a violent clash at Maharajas College had sent shockwaves across the State.
The order came after repeated concerns over the prolonged delay in the trial. In 2024, Abhimanyu’s mother approached the High Court, pointing out that the case concerning her son’s death had still not reached trial despite the passage of several years. Acting on her plea, the High Court had earlier directed the sessions court in January 2025 to wrap up the proceedings within nine months.
That timeline, however, was not met. The sessions judge subsequently sought additional time, while Abhimanyu’s mother again pressed for an early conclusion of the case.
Justice Kauser Edappagath, in an order issued on August 3, granted the trial court four more months but underlined that no further extension would be entertained. The Court instructed the sessions judge to frame charges on August 6, 2026, and begin the trial process without delay.
The order categorically stated that the case must be decided within four months from the date on which charges are framed.
Abhimanyu, a 21-year-old student leader affiliated with the Students’ Federation of India, was killed on July 1, 2018, during a campus clash at Maharajas College in Ernakulam. According to the prosecution, the violence erupted after tensions over the placement of posters inside the college premises.
Investigators alleged that members linked to the student organisation Campus Front attacked Abhimanyu and four other SFI activists. While the others suffered serious injuries, Abhimanyu succumbed to the assault.
Following the incident, the Ernakulam Central Police registered a case invoking charges that included unlawful assembly, rioting, murder and criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code. A charge sheet was filed in September 2018, but the matter has remained pending before the Principal Sessions Court for more than seven years.
With the High Court now fixing a strict deadline, the long-delayed trial enters a decisive phase.
