SFI protest violence: Court sentences AA Rahim MP and M Swaraj to one year imprisonment

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A court has sentenced CPM leaders AA Rahim MP and M Swaraj to one year in prison and a fine of Rs 5000 in a case related to violence during the Assembly march organised by SFI against the Oommen Chandy government in 2010. It was Magistrate Shwetha Sasikumar of the Thiruvananthapuram 1st Class Magistrate's Court who sentenced the two CPM leaders. The court said that both Rahim and Swaraj should pay a fine of Rs 1000 under IPC 143, Rs 1000 under IPC 147, Rs 200 under IPC 283 and Rs 500 under the KP Act for the incident which occurred on the evening of July 30, 2010. The court later granted bail to both leaders.

Swaraj and Rahim are the 6th and 7th accused in the case with around 10 accused. It was the Museum police that registered the case. The assembly march held by SFI against the education policy had ended up violent. The case is that the protesters destroyed barricades and vehicles during the strike. Both have been charged with the crime of destroying public property.