Stone-pelting at MLA's house for Budget Day ruckus: HC declines bail to CPI leader

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Thursday dismissed the anticipatory bail plea filed by a local CPI leader who is the second accused in the case over pelting stones at MLA Sivadasan Nair’s home at Aranmula in protest to the incidents in the Legislative Assembly during presentation of the budget.
Justice K Abraham Mathew considered the petition seeking pre-arrest bail by PK Ajithkumar of Kuzhikkala in Pathanamthitta, who is the mandalam president of AIYF and an area leader of CPI.
It was claimed by the CPI leader in the petition that some antisocials might have pelted the stones for which the leadership is not at all liable or responsible. The march that was organized in protest against the conduct of the MLA in the Assembly was attended by around 500 persons and was blocked by police before it reached the MLA’s house, the petition had stated.
Identity of the persons who had pelted the stones is not mentioned in the FIR or in the first information statement. Prosecution’s specific case is that the march was conducted by CPI(M) and a CPI leader is being unnecessarily dragged into the case, it was argued.
Opposing the petition seeking anticipatory bail, senior public prosecutor Rasheed C Nooranad pointed out that the petitioner is accused of leading a mob that pelted stones at MLA’s house in Aranmula in retaliation for an incident that allegedly took place in the Assembly. Granting anticipatory bail to the accused at this stage would be equal to encouraging such acts, the senior prosecutor argued. Moreover, the petitioner may use his political influence to hamper the investigation in the case, the court was told.
Accepting the prosecution’s contention, the court dismissed the petition filed by the CPI leader seeking anticipatory bail.