The Kerala High Court expressed strong doubts over a plea seeking to restrain the release of a Malayalam film allegedly inspired by the Venjaramoodu mass murder case. The Court questioned how a creative artwork could interfere with a fair criminal trial and agreed to hear the matter further.
The Kerala High Court on Tuesday expressed serious doubts over a petition seeking to stop the release and promotion of a Malayalam movie titled Kaalam Paranja Katha, which is alleged to be inspired by the Venjaramoodu mass murder case.
The petition was filed by the father of Afan, who is the sole accused in the Venjaramoodu murder case. He claimed that the release of the film could seriously affect his son’s right to a fair trial, as the criminal proceedings are still pending.
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The matter was heard by Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas, who orally observed that it was difficult to accept the argument that a movie could interfere with a criminal trial.
The Judge asked,
“Movie is an artwork. It’s the creativity of (its makers). How does it interfere with the trials? It’s a judicially trained person who’s going to hear the matter ….How does the right to fair trial be affected by a movie?… Do you mean to say that they (witnesses) will be carried away, not by what they actually saw or what they actually narrate, but by the movie? Is that how we have to identify things?”
The Court also questioned the petitioner’s reliance on social media posts to establish a link between the film and the murder case. The petitioner’s counsel referred to a Facebook post to support the claim that the film was based on the Venjaramoodu incident.
Reacting to this, Justice Thomas said,
“How can we go by this? Some random person gives random information. Obviously, this film would have been given certification by the censor board. Why do you assume that it is the same movie? .. Court cannot rely upon social media platforms to come to a conclusion.”
The Bench further noted that the petition was filed only a few days before the movie’s scheduled release, which also weighed against granting immediate relief.
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Justice Thomas observed,
“One, there is nothing to show that this is identical with that of the so-called murder case. Second, you’re coming in the 11th hour. That itself is a reason to decline. Third, obviously the movie would have got censor support certification. Fourth, how would it affect the trial? Media has not been restrained from narrating every case. Narrations are given repeatedly for every case by the media,”
Despite these strong observations, the Court agreed to examine the issue further. It issued notice and sought responses from the movie’s director and producer, as well as from the Central Board for Film Certification.
During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel requested the Court to watch the film to assess its impact. However, Justice Kurian made it clear that the petition has not yet been formally admitted by the Court.
The case has now been posted for further hearing on February 5.
The Venjaramoodu mass murder case relates to an incident that took place in February 2025. Afan, the sole accused, is alleged to have killed five members of his family, including his paternal grandmother, younger brother, uncle, aunt, and girlfriend. He is also accused of attempting to murder his mother. The criminal trial in the case is currently pending.
The Malayalam film Kaalam Paranja Katha, which is said to be inspired by this incident, is scheduled to be released on February 6.
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Afan’s father has argued that the release of the film and its promotional material could result in a media trial against his son, damage his right to a fair trial, and harm the reputation of the family. On these grounds, he has requested the Court to restrain the release of the film as well as its promotions.
The petitioner was represented by advocates Sajju V and Ajmal A, while the movie’s director was represented by advocate Abraham Samson.
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