Kochi: The High Court on Friday refused to stay proceedings in the Assembly ruyckus case. The court also denied permission to accused in the case to stay away from appearing in the court.
Now, all the six, including minister V Sivankutty, K T Jaleel, and EP Jayarajan, have to appear before the court on September 14.
In 2021, the accused in the 2015 Assembly ruckus case, filed a revision petition before the High Court against the dismissal of their discharge petition by a lower court in Thiruvananthapuram.
The trial court in September 2020 had rejected the LDF government's plea to withdraw a case related to the ruckus in the state assembly, saying allowing it would send a wrong message to society.
The petition was filed by the government, seeking withdrawal of the case registered under sections 447 (criminal trespass), 427 (mischief causing damage), read with section 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sec 3(1) of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property (PDPP) Act by the previous Oommen Chandy-led UDF government.
Subsequently on July 28, the Supreme Court dismissed the Kerala government's plea for withdrawal of the case against the six LDF leaders, saying privileges and immunities "are not gateways" to claim exemptions from criminal law which governs the action of every citizen.
The apex court had also said that committing acts of destruction of public property cannot be equated with either freedom of speech in the legislature or with forms of protest legitimately available to the members of the Opposition.
The assembly had witnessed unprecedented scenes on March 13, 2015 as the LDF members, then in the 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, keyboards and mikes on the desk of the presiding officer were also allegedly damaged by the then LDF members, causing a loss of Rs 2.20 lakh.
