Kerala HC Stays Trial Against Dr. Boby Chemmanur, Orders Verification of Settlement with Complainant
Justice Jobin Sebastian stayed proceedings in a criminal case before the Ernakulam Atrocities and Sexual Violence court after the complainant reported an amicable settlement, directing the Public Prosecutor to verify its genuineness and the petitioner's criminal antecedents.
The High Court of Kerala at Ernakulam, on 3 July 2026, stayed all further proceedings in SC No. 1154 of 2025 before the Additional District and Sessions Court for cases relating to Atrocities and Sexual Violence against Women and Children, Ernakulam, until 23 July 2026. The stay was ordered in Crl.M.C. No. 977 of 2026, filed by C.D. Boby, also known as Dr. Boby Chemmanur, a 60-year-old resident of Thrissur, seeking to quash an FIR and charge sheet arising from Crime No. 31 of 2025 registered at Central Police Station, Ernakulam. Justice Jobin Sebastian, sitting singly, passed interim directions after the second respondent — the complainant — appeared through counsel and submitted that the matter had been amicably settled.
The Case Before the High Court
Crime No. 31 of 2025 was registered at Central Police Station, Ernakulam, on the basis of a First Information Statement dated 7 January 2025. A charge sheet followed on 15 May 2025, and the trial was taken up as SC No. 1154 of 2025 before the specialised sessions court at Ernakulam that deals with atrocities and sexual violence against women and children.
Dr. Boby Chemmanur filed Crl.M.C. No. 977 of 2026 before the Kerala High Court seeking a stay of all proceedings pursuant to the FIR (Annexure A1) and the final report or charge sheet (Annexure A2) pending final disposal of the criminal miscellaneous case. A connected interlocutory application, Crl.M.A. No. 1 of 2026, sought an interim stay of the trial proceedings.
The petitioner was represented by Advocate M.R. Dhanil. The State was represented by the Public Prosecutor. Advocates Zakeer Hussain, K.A. Sanjeetha, and Lovewin Vinu appeared for the second respondent, the complainant.
Settlement Reported; Court Directs Verification
When the matter came up on 3 July 2026, counsel for the second respondent informed the court that the dispute between the complainant and the petitioner had been resolved. An affidavit to that effect had been filed before the court.
Justice Jobin Sebastian did not accept the settlement at face value. The court directed the learned Public Prosecutor to ascertain two things: first, whether the settlement was genuine; and second, whether the petitioner had any criminal antecedents. The matter was posted to 23 July 2026 for that purpose.
The direction for verification reflects the court's obligation when a settlement is reported in a matter before the specialised court for atrocities and sexual violence — a forum dealing with categories of offences where the public interest dimension does not dissolve merely because the complainant and accused report a private resolution.
Interim Stay of Trial Proceedings
Pending the verification exercise, the court granted the interim relief sought in Crl.M.A. No. 1 of 2026. All further proceedings in SC No. 1154 of 2025 before the Additional District and Sessions Court (for the trial of cases relating to Atrocities and Sexual Violence against Women and Children), Ernakulam, were stayed until 23 July 2026.
Order
Justice Jobin Sebastian directed the Public Prosecutor to verify the genuineness of the settlement filed by affidavit before the court and to ascertain the criminal antecedents of the petitioner, C.D. Boby @ Dr. Boby Chemmanur. Trial proceedings in SC No. 1154 of 2025 before the Ernakulam specialised sessions court stood stayed until 23 July 2026. The matter in Crl.M.C. No. 977 of 2026 was posted to that date.