Kerala - Kochi   

Hartal: government told to file affidavit High Court Round-up

Kochi: A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Friday directed the State government to file an affidavit within three weeks in response to a writ petition seeking to prohibit publication of any call for “forced hartal” in the media and also to create a separate fund for paying compensation to victims of hartal-related violence.

The directive was given by the Bench comprising Justice J.B. Koshy and Justice K. Hema when a petition filed by Sathyvan Kottarakara came up for hearing.

The petitioner said that in its judgment banning bandhs, the High Court had held that “forced hartal” was also a bandh. It was thus clear that no person or any organisation had got any right to call for a bandh or “forced hartal.” Though the State government was aware of such ruling, it was not taking any step to prevent holding of hartals. In fact, the failure to prevent the call for “forced hartal” or bandh was arbitrary. If any media published such hartal calls, the same shall be deemed to be a call for the disturbance of public order and an insult to the Constitution.

The State government had opposed the bail plea of Govindankutty arrested on charges of sedition from Kakkanad in Ernakulam. In a statement filed in response to his bail petition, the police said there was possibility of the accused indulging in anti-national activities if he was granted bail.

The police said he had been propagating the CPI (Maoist) ideologies and programmes and publishing the CPI (Maoist) mouthpiece ‘People’s March’. The organisation had been banned by the Central government under Section 13(1) (b) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, the statement said.

A Bench has restrained the State government and others from evicting three tribals from their land in Attappadi. The interim order came on a petition filed by Dandan and two other tribals from Vandanpara in Attappady.

Justice S. Siri Jagan of the Kerala High Court on Friday adjourned the hearing on a petition seeking a directive to the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) to ensure adequate supply of petroleum products to its dealers in the State.

The court adjourned the hearing to enable the IOC to get instruction in the case. The petition was filed by the All Kerala Federation of Petroleum Dealers. According to it, the company was not supplying sufficient quantity of petroleum products in anticipation of a price hike.

The Bench adjourned the hearing on a petition seeking a direction to conduct a special audit to find out the reasons for the lapses of crores of rupees allotted every year for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Welfare Department.

The petition was filed by the Federation of SC/ST State committee and another organisation.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Volvo race director upbeat about Kochi
Hartal: government told to file affidavit High Court Round-up
Lalithakala Akademi awards announced
Worker killed in quarry accident
Volvo Ocean Race agreement signed
Fishermen rescued
Best coconut farmer award
Supplyco shops open today
Medical park to come up
Winter school begins
Minister orders strict vigil at quarries
In Kochi Today

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu