KOCHI: The High Court on Tuesday dismissed as withdrawn a petition filed by suspended IG Gugulloth Lakshman, seeking to quash the charges against him in the cheating case involving fake antique dealer Monson Mavunkal.
The court also imposed a fine of `10,000 on the officer for accusing his lawyer, who initially appeared in the case, for including a statement that an ‘extraordinary constitutional authority’ was functioning in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO). The officer said that the allegation that he now wanted to withdraw was included in the petition by his lawyer without his knowledge.
Justice P V Kunhikrishnan said that the petitioner cannot change his pleadings according to his whims and fancies. Very serious allegations are made against the CMO. Thereafter, the petitioner submitted that the remarks were wrong, and it was a mistake on the part of his counsel.
The lawyer has not filed any complaint before the Bar Council against the counsel for making such a serious allegation in a criminal miscellaneous case without his instructions,” said the court.