Contempt plea: HC notices to Govindan, Viswam, others

Kochi: The high court has issued notices to CPM state secretary MV Govindan, CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam, TJ Vinod, MLA and others, requiring their appearance on Feb 10 in a contempt of court case. The case pertains to political conferences and protests allegedly encroaching on public roads and footpaths.

A bench of Justices Anil K Narendran and S Muralee Krishna issued the notices on a contempt petition filed by N Prakash of Maradu in Ernakulam. The petitioner alleged that the respondents violated a high court judgment prohibiting public meetings, protests and dharnas on roads and footpaths. While notices were also issued to the chief secretary and the state police chief, their personal appearance was dispensed with.

The court observed that the allegations prima facie make a case and emphasized that such matters cannot be taken lightly.

Among the others political leaders issued notices are CPI's Pannyan Raveendran and CPM's M Vijayakumar, MLAs V K Prasanth, V Joy and Kadakampally Surendran, former MLA Dominic Presentation, Ernakulam DCC president Muhammed Shiyas and Joint Council leader Jayachandran Kallingal.

Police officers, including Putta Vimaladitya, Kiran Narayanan, G Sparjan Kumar, Anish Joy, D Girilal and Prajeesh Sasi, were also directed to appear. Though the additional advocate general requested an exemption from appearance to the officers, the court denied it.

The notices to CPM leaders, including Govindan, relate to the Palayam area conference meeting they attended on an illegally constructed stage on the Uppidamoodu-Vanchiyoor road in Thiruvananthapuram on Dec 5. Similarly, notices to TJ Vinod, MLA and Congress leaders concern a protest on Dec 11 near the Kochi corporation office, which allegedly encroached on the road and footpath.

Kiran Narayanan, the district police chief of Thiruvananthapuram, was also issued notice for attending a programme called ‘Jwala – Vanitha Junction' held on Jan 3 by the Balaramapuram grama panchayat.

A stage for the event was constructed on the Balaramapuram-Vizhinjam Road, violating the court's prohibition on public road encroachments.