Trial opens in the Abhimanyu murder case as the Ernakulam court tells 16 accused to uncover their faces

16 October 2026

The trial in the murder of Abhimanyu began before Principal Sessions Judge K K Balakrishnan at the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court.
All 16 accused appeared in matching clothing, caps, hairstyles and face coverings, and the judge ordered them to remove the masks, saying they could not appear before the court with their faces covered.
The judge warned that strict action would follow any attempt to alter their appearance at future hearings or during cross-examination.
Abhimanyu, a second-year BSc Chemistry student of Maharaja's College and a Students' Federation of India leader, was fatally stabbed on the campus on 2 July 2018.
Special Public Prosecutor G Mohanraj examined the first eyewitness, Subin, who identified several of the accused but said he could not identify three of them.
The trial follows a Kerala High Court direction in July to complete the proceedings within four months, given on a petition by Abhimanyu's mother Bhoopathy.
Witness examination is to continue on consecutive working days until 12 November.