The Kerala High Court has initiated a suo motu contempt of court case against Dalit and Adivasi organisations following reports of violence during a statewide hartal held by them on Tuesday. The court noted that the hartal allegedly violated previous judgments that impose restrictions on such strikes.
Background of the Hartal
The hartal was called by Dalit and Adivasi groups demanding the arrest of those responsible for the death of BDS student Nithin Raj at Kannur Dental College. The protest led to widespread disruptions and violent incidents across the state.
Court's Intervention
The vacation bench of Justices Basant Balaji and P Krishna Kumar took cognizance of incidents of violence and obstruction of vehicles in various parts of Kerala. The court directed the High Court registry to register a suo motu contempt case against the organisers and issue notices to them. During the morning session, the court also sought a report from the state police chief on the alleged incidents of violence and traffic disruptions.
The court's intervention was based on its previous rulings that ban flash hartals and hold organisers liable for any damage caused to the public and government during such strikes.
Police Report
In the afternoon session, the state police chief submitted that 27 cases had been registered and 100 persons arrested in connection with incidents of violence across the state. It was clarified that cases were registered for various incidents, including an ambulance being obstructed at Thiruvalla and public transportation being disrupted in Thiruvananthapuram.
The High Court further directed the government pleader to place the report on record and adjourned the matter for further proceedings.
