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Five accused appear in Kerala court in House ruckus case
But Left Democratic Front convener EP Jayarajan failed to turn up citing ill health and later the court adjourned the case to Sept 26. The accused finally appeared before the court after the chief judicial magistrate issued an ultimatum to them.
Five of the six accused, including state education minister V Sivankutty, in the 2015 Kerala assembly violence case on Wednesday appeared before a trial court here. Charges against them were read out in court.
But Left Democratic Front convener EP Jayarajan failed to turn up citing ill health and later the court adjourned the case to Sept 26. The accused finally appeared before the court after the chief judicial magistrate issued an ultimatum to them.
In court, all five denied charges against them. Last month, the Kerala high court dismissed their discharge plea and directed them to appear before the trial court.
“It is a politically-motivated case. We will fight it out legally,” Sivankutty said after coming out of the court. He came to the court in his official car and many criticised it. The accused filed several revision and special leave petitions to delay the trial but courts refused to entertain them, forcing them to appear in person.
The case relates to violent incidents unfolded in the assembly on March 13, 2015 after LDF legislators tried to prevent then finance minister KM Mani from presenting the budget alleging his role in a bar bribery case.
Angry members snapped mikes, threw chairs, destroyed furniture and computer and damaged lights during the ruckus and later two legislators landed up in hospital also. The session was live when violence unfolded and property worth ₹2.2 lakh destroyed in the ruckus.
Later, a case was registered at the instance of then Speaker N Sakthan. In the video, Sivankutty was seen climbing over tables and others destroyed the mike and furniture of the house.
Then opposition leader VS Achuthanandan was seen prodding Left legislators to avert presentation of the budget. Two women MLAs of the left later filed a complaining that they were pushed around and their modesty was insulted. Later police filed a counter case against two Congress legislators AA Waheed and AT George. Interestingly KM Mani’s party, Kerala Congress (M), later crossed over to LDF camp after his death.
After the CPI(M)-led left front came to power in 2016, it tried its best to withdraw the case but the court rejected it. The government then invoked the privilege of legislators and public interest to justify its decision but the high court rejected it saying privilege was not a licence to unleash violence in the House.
In July 2021, the Supreme Court upheld the lower court verdict and questioned the position of the government in such a case. The apex court had said acts of destruction of public property cannot be equated with either the freedom of speech of the legislator or with forms of protest legitimately available to the members of opposition. It also rejected the government’s contention that the Speaker was the last word as far as legislative proceedings were concerned.
