KOCHI: The High Court, on Monday, criticised V Venu, the chief secretary, for failing to appear online in a contempt of court case, citing his involvement in the Keraleeyam programme. Justice Devan Ramachandran said, “Since the Court had only asked the officer to appear online, one cannot understand why he could not spare even five or ten minutes to do so.”
The court observed that the state appears to be procrastinating, despite the court’s judgment issued as early as April 8, 2022. Over the course of eight months, the authorities have failed to verify the veracity of the petitioners’ claims. The case was initiated for non-compliance with directives to rehabilitate two families residing in Ambalamugal. These families asserted that they are living in a highly toxic environment due to the presence of two industries on either side of their residential properties, posing a constant threat to their lives.
During the hearing of the contempt case, the chief secretary relayed that he has prior commitments throughout the upcoming week, hence his inability to appear before the court. He mentioned his role as the general convener of the ongoing “Keraleeyam”, involving him in a range of tasks related to the programme.
“One fails to understand how he would obtain time to see the stated prejudice of the petitioners in these circumstances,” said the court. The court also directed the chief secretary to appear online on November 8, whatever the “prescheduled engagements” he may have.
In another contempt case regarding the disbursing of pension to the KSRTC employee, Biju Prabhakar, secretary of the transport department and V Venu, chief secretary were not present. When the matter came up for hearing, the government pleader informed that they had other engagements.
‘Defection a bane of Indian democracy’
Kochi: The High Court on Monday said that defections by elected representatives have been a bane of the Indian democracy. “Despite the anti-defection law, unscrupulous persons indulge in baleful acts of defection. The anti-defection law has not been able to curb the menace effectively,” observed the court while allowing the petition filed by Deepak K and Joseph John, elected members of Thodupuzha Municipal Council seeking to declare that Mathew Joseph another member of the municipality had defected and to disqualify him from being a member. The court said that once an elected representative is found disqualified due to defection, the burden on the exchequer is immense due to the inevitable by-elections.
Ban on firecrackers: State files appeal
Kochi: The state government on Monday approached the Kerala High Court seeking to quash a single judge’s order banning the bursting of firecrackers in religious places at odd hours. The state government said that the direction of the single judge that the deputy collectors and police must conduct raids on all religious places and take into possession crackers stored illegally is omnibus, not warranted by any factual or legal circumstances. This has neither been preceded by any finding to the effect that crackers were being illegally stored in religious places nor are there any pleadings in the petition. The direction banning the bursting of firecrackers at odd times is vague as the term ‘odd time’ can be interpreted according to individual perspectives.