'Namajapa' protest: Police quash case against NSS members

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala police have closed the case lodged against members of the influential Nair Service Society (NSS) for their 'namajapa' protest over Speaker A N Shamseer's alleged remarks about Lord Ganesha. An officer of Cantonment police station, where an FIR has been lodged in connection with the protest, said a closure report has been filed in the concerned court. 

The Cantonment Police here had registered an FIR against NSS Vice President Sangeeth Kumar and a thousand other identifiable members of the organisation in connection with a protest march held on August 2. After the NSS moved the Kerala High Court to quash the FIR and the court put further proceedings in the case on hold, the police sought the legal opinion of Assistant Public Prosecutor (APP) Manu R on whether to proceed with the matter. 

The prosecutor had advised the police to drop further investigation into the case and to file a final report to that effect before the jurisdictional court. The reason given by the APP was that the 'namajapa' protest "was not illegal, restricted or regulated and the continuation of the investigation would be an instance of abuse of process under the law". 

The prosecutor had also said: "So as to ensure and retain communal harmony and for peace in society and for other social reasons, I am also of the opinion that it is a fit case to drop further action." 

The APP had further said the "very foundation of the case itself was doubtful" as no violence or damages were reported due to the procession that was held from Palayam to the Pazhavangadi Ganapathy Temple, a few kilometres away, in protest against Shamseer's alleged remarks on Lord Ganesha. While opining that it was abundantly clear that the registration of the FIR was due to a mistake of fact, the APP had also said the official who lodged the case had committed no illegality as it was a bona fide action on his part.

Meanwhile, NSS General Secretary G Sukumaran Nair welcomed the government's intervention to quash the cases. He urged the government to revoke cases registered against NSS members for holding protests against the Supreme Court verdict allowing young women in Sabarimala.

(with PTI inputs)