Five Congress legislators, including Leader of Opposition V. D. Satheesan, were acquitted in a criminal case for unlawful assembly, rioting and violating the social distancing norms and taking out a procession during COVID-19 period.
K.V. Naina, the judicial officer of the special court for the trial of criminal cases involving MPs and MLAs, acquitted Hibi Eden, MP, T. J. Vinod, Anwar Sadath and Roji M. John, MLAs; and Congress leaders V. P. Sajeendran, M.O. John and Tony Chammani in the case. The court found that there was absolutely no evidence to prove that the accused formed an unlawful assembly and committed rioting. The prosecution failed to prove that the accused had committed the offences of unlawful assembly and rioting. The charges against them under the various provisions of the Kerala Police Act and Kerala Epidemic Disease Ordinance, 2020, also could not be proved, the court held. The court cancelled the bail bonds of the accused and set them at liberty.
The prosecution case was that the accused organised themselves into an unlawful assembly alleging that the State government was ignoring expatriates. They assembled near the Menaka bus stop, and violated government order and guidelines of Health department restraining public assembly, unnecessary journeys and public functions. They also acted negligently to spread COVID-19 and to cause danger to public safety, the prosecution alleged.
The defence lawyers had contended that a false case was registered against the accused, who were the leaders of Congress, to suppress protests against the government.
