Minister appears in court for assembly vandalism trial

TRIVANDRUM: A court here framed charges against general education minister V Sivankutty and other prominent ruling coalition leaders for the 2015 vandalisation of the state assembly.

His co-defenders include former higher education minister KT Jaleel and industries minister EP Jayarajan who is the convener of the ruling Let Democratic Front now.

The chief judicial magistrate R Rekha read out the charges against Sivankuty, Jaleel, K Ajith, CK Sadasivan and K Kunhammed, all former LDF legislators.

On March 13, 2015, the LDF legislators, then in opposition, stormed the dais of the speaker and unleashed violence damaging whatever came before them.

Kuty had hopped across the desks and protested until he fainted on the desk during the ruckus telecast live.

They unleashed violence to prevent the late finance minister KM Mani, whose Kerala Congress (M) is now a ruling coalition partner, from presenting the annual budget.

Those who turned violent included former ministers G Sudhakaran, Thomas Isaac, MA Baby, Elamaram Kareem and VS Sunil Kumar.

Another troublemaker legislator, P Sreeramakrishnan, went on to become the speaker of the house and he now heads the authority for the welfare of expatriates.

But they escaped prosecution as they didn’t destroy public properties while engaging in violence and clashing with the marshals guarding the speaker.

All six face charges of criminal trespass, mischief causing damage and causing damage to public property.

They flung the speaker’s chair, and electronic equipment like computers, keyboards and mikes on the desk.

The LDF was on a state-wide strike for Mani’s resignation accusing him of taking bribes from hoteliers to grant the license to serve liquor.

The opposition led the Communist Party of

India (Marxist) had also claimed that he was keeping a machine at home to count the currencies received as bribes.

The magistrate asked Jayarajan, who failed to present in the court on health grounds, to appear on Sept.26 to start the trial.

The opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) leaders who are busy with the ongoing long march of Rahul Gandhi currently in Kerala, demanded the minister’s resignation.

The minister and the LDF leaders face criminal proceedings for causing a loss of Rs 220, 293 to the exchequer by damaging the public address system and furniture.