Protest against CM: HC stays warrant against Youth League's PK Firoz for allegedly violating bail condition
The protesters assaulted two police officers and damaged barricades and a police jeep, causing a total loss of Rs 50,000.
The protesters assaulted two police officers and damaged barricades and a police jeep, causing a total loss of Rs 50,000.
The protesters assaulted two police officers and damaged barricades and a police jeep, causing a total loss of Rs 50,000.
Kochi: The Kerala High Court temporarily stayed the bailable warrant issued by the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in Thiruvananthapuram against Youth League General Secretary P K Firoz on Tuesday for not surrendering his passport, a condition for his bail.
Firoz and 37 activists of the United Democratic Youth Front were arrested after their protest march to the Legislative Assembly demanding Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's resignation turned violent on October 8, 2024. They were protesting against Vijayan's controversial remarks linking Malappuram to high crime rates, the alleged criminalisation of the police force, and the meeting between M R Ajith Kumar, the then ADGP for law and order, and RSS leaders.
According to the FIR, the protesters assaulted two police officers and damaged barricades and a police jeep, causing a total loss of Rs 50,000.
Chief Judicial Magistrate Suja K M released them on bail on October 14 on the condition that they would appear before the investigating officer every Monday till the final report is submitted and surrender their passports before the court.
On November 8, Firoz got an exemption from the same court from appearing before the investigating officer for one month because he had to go abroad to attend an event. The judicial magistrate asked Firoz to return the passport on December 7, 2024.
But on December 6 and 7, he filed two petitions seeking further exemption from appearing before the police and returning the passport, saying he had another event in Turkey.
On January 1, the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court dismissed the two petitions and issued a bailable warrant because he did not surrender the passport even during the argument.
Firoz's counsel P A Mohammed Shah argued in the High Court that the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court disregarded the fact that the Museum Police completed their investigation and submitted the final report before the court on December 26. The dismissal of Firoz's petitions amounted to abuse of the process of law, Adv Shah argued. The case will be heard on January 23.