Shutdown in Kerala: HC initiates contempt proceedings against PFI leaders

Around 70 buses of the Kerala state road transport corporation were damaged in stone pelting and over 200 activists of the PFI were held from different parts of the state on Friday

The Kerala High Court on Friday took suo motu cognisance of the statewide shutdown called by the Popular Front of India (PFI) that triggered large-scale violence in the state and have also registered a case against the outfit.

Visuals from Alappuzha district during the 12-hour strike called by the Popular Front of India on Friday. (Vivek R Nair/ HT Photo)

A division bench of the high court comprising justices Jayasankaran Nambiar and CP Mohammad Nias observed that flash hartal was banned by the court earlier and directed police to take strict action against violators of the order. It also sought a detailed report from the police about destruction of public property during the dawn-to-dusk hartal (strike) that crippled the state.

“The action of the aforementioned persons in calling for the hartal without following the procedure contemplated in our earlier order, prima facie, amounts to contempt,” the bench stated, adding that it will initiate suo motu contempt proceedings against the office-bearers of the organisation.

The court had in 2019 ordered that lightning strikes will violate fundamental rights of those who do not align with the cause of those calling the hartal and mandated seven days prior notice to call such a protest. The court also asked the media to highlight its order also while giving coverage to such hartal calls.

“We, therefore, deem it necessary to once again request the media to ensure that whenever such illegal flash hartals are called for, and it is apparent that the said hartal called is in violation of the orders passed by this court, the public be duly informed of the said fact,” it observed.

The court also directed the police to take strict action against those who destroyed public properties and sought a detailed report. The counsel for the state government informed the court that 70 buses of the Kerala state road transport corporation were damaged in stone pelting and over 200 activists of the PFI were held from different parts of the state. The court has posted the case for further hearing on September 29.

Amid mounting calls for ban on the controversial Islamic outfit, its premises across 15 states and 102 locations were raided on Thursday by security agencies led by the National Investigation Agency. More than 100 functionaries were arrested on terror funding charges and inciting violence, the maximum from Kerala (22) where PFI was founded in 2006.