SC refuses to quash vandalism case

TRIVANDRUM: Calls for the resignation of the state’s education minister V Sivan Kuty are getting louder ater the Supreme Court (SC) refused to stop the 2015 Assembly vandalism trial.

Kuty and six other leaders of the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) are facing charges of destroying the Speaker’s podium and electronic address system.

A bench of DY Chandrachud and MR Shad on Wednesday dismissed the state’s plea against the Kerala High Court’s judgement to continue the trial by a lower court.

The judges said the atempt by the state government to allow the leaders to escape the law “would be a betrayal to the citizens.”

“The action of the members have trodden past the constitutional means,” they said in their judgement, heavily criticising it.

“Parliamentary privileges and immunities are not gateways for legislators to claim exemption from the law of the land, especially criminal law.”

The police booked the CPI ( M) leaders for “destruction of public properties, criminal trespass and mischief causing damage” on a complaint by the then speaker N Shaktan.

The chief judicial magistrate here began trial in the case in October last year ater rejecting their individual plea to stop proceedings against them.

The court also overruled the decision of the cabinet headed by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to withdraw the case and issued summons to the defenders.

Following this, the then industries minister EP Jayarajan and higher education minister KT Jaleel appeared before the trial court and obtained bail.

Besides Kuty, other defendants, K Kunjahammad, CK Sadasivan and K Ajith have also been out on bail since opening a long court batle.

Their atempt was to prevent finance minister KM Mani from presenting the annual budget accusing him of taking bribes from hoteliers for liquor permits.

They clashed with the marshals, flung the speaker’s chair, destroyed electronic systems and tried to atack the chief minister, Oommen Chandy.