New Delhi: Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi has raised serious concerns about discussions taking place between the Advocate General, special investigation team officers and judges of the Kerala High Court reviewing the Hema Committee report. Rohatgi shared these concerns during a hearing in the Supreme Court, where he highlighted that these meetings occur for about half an hour on days when the High Court is scheduled to hear related petitions. He also stated that this information has been reported by the media.

Rohatgi asserted that while the details of these discussions remain unclear, the Kerala High Court’s decision follows these private meetings. He made these statements while representing producer Sajimon Parayil, who has filed a petition challenging the Kerala High Court's directive to register cases and conduct investigations based on statements recorded by the Hema Committee. Senior advocate K. Parameshwar, advocate A. Karthik, and Saiby Jose Kidangoor also appeared in the Supreme Court on behalf of Sajimon Parayil.

A High Court bench, consisting of Justices Jayasankaran Nambiar and CS Sudha, had previously ordered an investigation based on the Hema Committee’s findings. However, they also mandated that the identities of the complainants remain confidential during the investigation and that documents, including First Information Report (FIR), should not be shared with the accused until the final report is filed. Rohatgi criticised this directive, claiming it goes against a previous Supreme Court ruling and described the decision to withhold the FIR as unusual.

Following Rohatgi's arguments, the Supreme Court issued a notice to the state government and other opposing parties regarding Parayil's petition. The special investigation team is preparing to register up to 40 cases based on the Hema Committee's statements. In the light of this, Rohatgi called for an immediate stay on the High Court’s order, but the Supreme Court stated that this request would be addressed during the next hearing.

The bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Prasanna B. Varale issued a notice seeking a stay. The Supreme Court will hear the petition after three weeks.