Kochi: A special court in Kochi on Thursday acquitted CPM state secretary MV Govindan in a criminal defamation case filed by Congress MP K Sudhakaran, citing the complainant’s repeated failure to appear before the court and present evidence.
The case originated from allegations made by Govindan in connection with the controversy surrounding self-styled antique collector Monson Mavunkal. Sudhakaran had approached the court after Govindan publicly alleged that the Congress MP was present at Mavunkal’s residence when a minor girl was allegedly subjected to sexual abuse there.
Claiming that the statement was defamatory and had damaged his reputation, Sudhakaran had initiated criminal defamation proceedings against the CPM leader.
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Mary Bindu Fernandez passed the order under Section 256(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), observing that Sudhakaran had been granted multiple opportunities over several months to prosecute the complaint but had failed to adduce any evidence.
The defamation complaint was filed on July 25, 2023. The case had been posted for recording the complainant’s evidence since July 29, 2025, and was subsequently listed on eight occasions for the same purpose. However, no evidence was produced during this period.
When the case came up for hearing on Thursday, Sudhakaran was absent and was not represented before the court. Instead, a petition was filed seeking a three-month adjournment of the trial on medical grounds.
Rejecting the request, the court noted that sufficient opportunities had already been granted to the complainant. The magistrate pointed out that on June 3, Sudhakaran had obtained a two-week adjournment citing medical reasons, following which the matter was posted to Thursday.
In the order, Magistrate Fernandez observed that repeated opportunities, extending over several months, had been granted to the complainant to prosecute the case, but no evidence had been presented despite the adjournments sought and granted.
“The case was posted for the complainant’s evidence on several occasions. It shows that repeated opportunities, extending over several months, had already been granted to the complainant to prosecute the complaint, and even after granting adjournments as sought by the complainant, no evidence whatsoever was adduced. Moreover, there are no sufficient reasons to adjourn the trial for a period of three months, as sought by the complainant,” the order stated.
The court further held that since the complainant had failed to appear and give evidence despite being afforded adequate opportunities, the accused was entitled to an acquittal.
Following the verdict, Sudhakaran’s counsel argued that the Congress leader had been travelling from Thrissur to Kochi and was on his way to the court when the case was dismissed. The lawyer also announced his decision to challenge the acquittal before the Kerala High Court.
