Four Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] leaders from Kannur appeared before the Kerala High Court on Monday in connection with a contempt of court case related to a protest meeting held in Kannur on February 25, when a busy road was blocked, necessitating traffic diversion.
The court had a month ago directed the four leaders – M.V. Jayarajan, E.P. Jayarajan, P. Jayarajan, and K.V. Sumesh, MLA, and also the Station House Officer concerned, apart from the District Police Chief (Kannur) to appear before it.
The case pertains to the respondents and others occupying Kargil Yogasala four-lane highway in Kannur by setting up a pandal near the Head Post Office, while chairs were arranged in the middle of the road. Traffic through the busy road had to be subsequently diverted from the morning due to this.
The petitioner, N. Prakash of Ernakulam, submitted that despite the disruption of the busy route, the police and the other authorities concerned remained mute spectators and did not intervene. This violated a High Court directive of 2010, he contended.
After recording the personal appearance of the four political party leaders, a Division Bench of Justices Anil K. Narendran and Muralee Krishna S. granted three weeks for them to file their individual affidavits. The court went on to dispense with their further personal appearance, for the time being. The matter was then posted for hearing after four weeks.
The court had in September held that the holding of agitations and demonstrations by political parties and other organisations often hindered free movement of pedestrians through footpaths, and vehicular traffic through public roads. Referring to the Kannur incident, it said this went to the extent of holding such agitations after laying carpet and placing chairs on the footpaths and public roads.
Published – October 06, 2025 10:34 pm IST
