KOCHI: Expressing concerns over the rising COVID-19 cases, the Kerala High Court on Wednesday banned gatherings including protests, demonstrations, processions till July 31.
The Bench also directed the state government and the state police chief (SPC)to take all preventive measures to ensure that no processions, agitation, gatherings take place violating the guidelines issued by the National Disaster Management Authority. The state government and SPC should ensure that no political parties violate the guidelines and the court order.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice S. Manikumar and Justice Shaji P. Chaly issued the order on a petition seeking to declare that the large scale public gathering in the name of protest or activities by the political parties in the state violating COVID 19 protocol is unconstitutional.
The court observed that the police had to ensure that action was taken against violators of the guidelines as the guidelines remained in force till July 31. The regulation by the State government allowing social gathering, including get-together, procession, dharna, with the permission of the authority concerned and a maximum of 10 participants should pave the way for the guidelines issued under
the National Disaster Management Act, in view of the Constitutional provisions and the overriding effect under section 72 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
The SPC had submitted that the as many as 3214 cases had been registered against the violators of the social distancing norms.