The court found they caused damages worth ₹2.20 lakh in trying to prevent the then finance minister from presenting the state's budget.
Published Sep 14, 2022 | 2:54 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 14, 2022 | 2:55 PM
Then Opposition MLA V Sivankutty disrupts the budget speech by KM Mani in the Kerala Assembly. (Supplied)
Kerala’s General Education Minister V Sivankutty appeared before a chief judicial magistrate court in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday, 14 September — along with four other leaders of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) — as accused in the infamous Assembly vandalising case of 2015.
The judge read out the charge sheet against Sivankutty, LDF convenor EP Jayarajan, sitting MLA KT Jaleel, and former MLAs K Ajith, K Kunjumuhammed, and CK Sadasivan for damaging the Assembly Speaker’s chair, computer, mike, and the emergency lamp on the table.
The court found they had caused damages worth ₹2.20 lakh to the state exchequer when they attempted to prevent the then finance minister KM Mani from presenting the state’s annual budget.
At that time, all six persons were opposition MLAs, accusing Mani of presiding over a huge bribery case by allocating several new bar hotels.
All the accused — except Jayarajan — were in the court hall when the charge sheet was read to them.
The accused denied the charge that they willfully caused destruction, and claimed they were protesting peacefully against the finance minister and speaker.
The case is now slotted for 26 September, and the court directed Jayarajan to appear without fail on that day. In all likelihood, the court will deliver its verdict in the case that day.
The day would be crucial for Sivankutty as it would be difficult for a charge-sheeted minister to continue in office.
On Wednesday, the court also reminded Jayarajan that it would have to issue an arrest warrant if he failed to turn up on 26 September.
Last week, the Kerala High Court refused to stay the proceedings in the case when the accused approached it with a revision petition against the dismissal of their discharge petition by the lower court in Thiruvananthapuram.
The trial court observed that allowing the dismissal petition would send a wrong message to society.
All the accused are now facing charges under Sections 447 (criminal trespass) and 427 (mischief causing damage) of the Indian Penal Code. They also face charges under the Prevention of Damage to Public Property (PDPP) Act.
In July last week, the Supreme Court dismissed the Kerala government’s plea to withdraw the case against the six LDF leaders, reminding them that privileges and immunities “are not gateways” to claim exemptions from the criminal law, which controls the actions of each citizen.
The Supreme Court also said committing acts of destruction of public properties could not be compared with either freedom of speech in the legislature or with forms of protest legitimately available to Opposition members.
