Kerala HC refuses to stay summons issued to 2 ministers in assembly ruckus case

The Chief Judicial Magistrate court had recently directed ministers E P Jayarajan and K T Jaleel to appear before it on October 28 in the case registered against a group of LDF MLAs for 'creating ruckus' in the Assembly by trying to prevent budget presentation by then Finance Minister K M Mani. The trial court had rejected the plea filed by the Left Democratic Front government seeking withdrawal of the case filed under various provisions of Prevention of Damage to Public Property (PDPP) Act by the then UDF government.

The Kerala High Court on Wednesday declined to stay the summons issued to two state ministers by a lower court in a criminal case registered in connection with the ruckus inside the state Assembly in 2015 during the tenure of previous Congress-led UDF government. The Chief Judicial Magistrate court had recently directed ministers E P Jayarajan and K T Jaleel to appear before it on October 28 in the case registered against a group of LDF MLAs for 'creating ruckus' in the Assembly by trying to prevent budget presentation by then Finance Minister K M Mani.

The trial court had rejected the plea filed by the Left Democratic Front government seeking withdrawal of the case filed under various provisions of Prevention of Damage to Public Property (PDPP) Act by the then UDF government. Challenging this, the state government filed an appeal in the High Court.

When the matter was being considered on Tuesday, the counsel for the state government sought to stay the summons issued by the CJM to Jayarajan and Jaleel to appear before it. The High Court declined to stay the summons and posted the matter for November 3 for consideration.

Left Democratic Front leaders K Ajith, V Sivankutty, C K Sadasivan and K Kunhammed, MLAs then, are the other accused in the case. They had appeared before the court and secured bail 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 speaker's 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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