Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday dealt a major blow to the CPI(M)-led LDF in the long-running Assembly ruckus controversy, quashing the case against four former UDF MLAs accused of allegedly assaulting Left MLAs during the violent protests inside the House in 2015.
The ruling leaves the CPI(M)-led front’s leaders to face trial in the principal public-property destruction case, while the counter-case against the UDF leaders has now been wiped out.
The High Court acquitted then MLAs K. Sivadasan Nair, M.A. Wahid, Dominic Presentation and A.T. George, setting aside an earlier order of the Thiruvananthapuram magistrate court that had directed them to face trial.
The case arose from allegations that, amid the uproar in the Assembly, then LDF women MLAs K.K. Lathika and Jameela Prakasham were wrongfully restrained and manhandled and that their dignity as women was insulted.
The police had invoked Sections 341, 323 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code, with Sivadasan Nair named as the first accused and the others as co-accused.
The High Court held that the charge of insulting the dignity of women could not be sustained and found insufficient legal basis to proceed with the case.
The court also quashed the earlier magistrate court order that had held the case maintainable.
The ruling assumes political significance because the counter-case against the four UDF leaders had emerged after the LDF leaders themselves became accused in the much more prominent Assembly public-property destruction case.
The original confrontation dates back to March 13, 2015, when LDF members launched a massive protest inside the Assembly in an attempt to prevent then Finance Minister K.M. Mani from presenting the Budget.
The Speaker’s dais was damaged, while computers, chairs, microphones and other equipment were allegedly destroyed, causing substantial damage to public property.
Six prominent LDF leaders V. Sivankutty, E.P. Jayarajan, K.T. Jaleel, K. Ajith, K. Kunhammed Master and C.K. Sadasivan remain accused in that case.
The LDF government had even approached the Supreme Court seeking withdrawal of the case against its leaders.
The plea was rejected with strong observations from the apex court.
After the LDF came to power, the Crime Branch pursued the case against the four UDF leaders, a move widely seen as a political counter to the continuing trial against the LDF leadership.
The UDF leaders had maintained that they were being made scapegoats to dilute the allegations against the ruling front’s leaders.
The High Court’s latest ruling has effectively removed that counterweight.
The political equation surrounding the Assembly ruckus case has therefore changed sharply as the UDF leaders walk out of the counter-case, while the LDF leaders continue to face the principal trial.
(IANS)
