New Delhi: The Supreme Court resolved a long-standing legal question when it adjudicated in the Kerala actress assault case, ruling on whether the memory card containing the assault footage should be treated as a material object or a document, a debate that moved from the trial court to the High Court and ultimately to the apex court.

If classified as a material object, the content would not need to be provided to the accused, whereas if considered a document, the accused must receive a copy. With the Supreme Court delivering a clear legal interpretation in this rare situation, the judgment is now viewed as a crucial guideline for all cases involving sexual assault being videographed.

The trial court had earlier dismissed the eighth accused, Dileep’s, application seeking a copy of the

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