Court rejects Ker govt's plea for withdrawal of case against LDF leaders over 2015 assembly ruckus

A court here on Tuesday rejected the plea of the Left Democratic Front government in Kerala to withdraw a case related to ruckus inside the state assembly in 2015 in which two of its ministers and four other LDF leaders, then in opposition, are the accused.

A court here on Tuesday rejected the plea of the Left Democratic Front government in Kerala to withdraw a case related to ruckus inside the state assembly in 2015 in which two of its ministers and four other LDF leaders, then in opposition, are the accused. The Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court here dismissed the petition filed by the government seeking withdrawal of the case filed under various provisions of Prevention of Damage to Public Property (PDPP) Act by the then UDF government.

Those involved in the case include senior cabinet Minister E P Jayarajan and Higher Education Minister K T Jaleel. Left Democratic Front leaders K Ajith, V Sivankutty, C K Sadasivan and K Kunhammed, MLAs then, are the other accused in the case.

The assembly had witnessed unprecedented scenes on March 13, 2015 as the LDF members then in opposition tried to prevent Finance Minister K M Mani, who was facing charges in the bar bribery scam, from presenting the state budget. Besides flinging the speakers chair from the podium, electronic equipment like computers, keyboard and mikes on the desk of the presiding officer were also allegedly damaged by the LDF members.

The previous Ommen Chandy government filed the case under relevant sections of Prevention of Destruction of Public Property Act and IPC sections 447 (criminal trespass) and 427 (mischief causing damage). The LDF government had in 2018 approached the court for withdrawal of the case against its ministers and leaders.

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