2015 Kerala Assembly ruckus case: MLAs should face trial for destruction of public properties: SC

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday criticised the conduct of CPI(M) lawmakers during the ruckus and vandalism that took place inside the Kerala Legislative Assembly in 2015.

During the brief hearing, a bench of Justices DY Chandrahcud and MR Shah made certain oral remarks disapproving the conduct of the left party MLAs which involved throwing mikes, toppling the Speaker's chair, and causing damage to public property.

"Prima facie we have to take a strict view of this kind of behavior. This is not acceptable behavior. Look at the behaviour of MLA who throws mic on the floor of the house. He must face trial," the bench asserted.

The Court will hear the matter further on July 15 since it is yet to examine certain additional documents.

The Court was hearing the plea filed by the Kerala government to withdraw the assembly ruckus case in which the present minister V Sivankutty, former higher education minister KT Jaleel, and four LDF leaders were involved.

The state government moved to the apex court challenging a March 12, 2021 order of the Kerala High Court which had dismissed the government's petition against an order of rejection by the Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court at Thiruvananthapuram, seeking permission to withdraw prosecution against the accused persons.

In the plea, the state government argued that the accused persons are entitled to the protection of legislative privileges of their acts committed on the floor of the house.

It was also stated that the HC Single Judge had failed to appreciate that the incident happened on the floor of the Legislative Assembly during the budget session as a part of the protest by opposition members of the legislative assembly against the budget presentation.

The ruckus in the Kerala assembly took place in 2015 amid the budget presentation of the then finance minister K M Mani during the tenure of the Congress-led-UDF government. (UNI)