CPM suffers setback; HC acquits former UDF MLAs in 2015 assembly ruckus case

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a big setback to the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the High Court quashed the case of assaulting women MLAs in the Kerala Assembly. The case was quashed much to the relief of former UDF MLAs. The court also clarified that charges including insulting femininity will not stand. The accused in the case registered by the Thiruvananthapuram Museum Police were UDF MLAs Sivadasan Nair, Dominic Presentation, MA Vaheed and AT George.

The incident in question took place on March 13, 2015. The then Finance Minister KM Mani was presenting the budget when the alleged assault took place. The FIR stated that the first accused, Sivadasan Nair, deliberately pushed LDF MLA Geetha Gopi, who fell while three others blocked her. The FIR also states that Geetha Gopi suffered an injury in the fall. The Museum Police registered the case on the complaint of the Assembly Secretary.

The UDF MLAs approached the High Court and said that the push and shove happened during the ruckus created in the assembly and there was no deliberate attempt to assault the women MLAs nor insult them. The MLAs had argued that the case was fake. The court, which later considered this, had excluded Sivadasan Nair, Dominic Presentation, and MA Vaheed from the case. The court quashed the case against A. T. George, which was the last one to be filed.