PC George moves Kerala High Court against KM Mani’s dual posts

Kochi: Ousted chief whip P.C. George on Friday moved Kerala High Court against Mr K.M. Mani holding the post of  Minister for Finance, Law and Housing without resigning from the post of party chairman. 

Mr George argued that Mr Mani had violated the constitution of the party which  had been  accepted and approved by the election commission.

Clause 22 of the party’s constitution stipulated that if party chairman, vice-chairman, treasurer or secretaries became a minister, speaker or deputy speaker, they shall resign their previous post before assuming charge.

He argued that Mr Mani not only violated the said clause but also caused suppression of the said violation from the EC  by not intimating the said fact to the EC  as per the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

The continuation as a minister in the state is liable to be invalidated. The petitioner sought a directive to issue a quo warranto to show cause by what authority he has been continuing as the minister.

Fine slapped on DYFI activist
The High Court on Friday slapped a fine of Rs 30,000 on a DYFI activist for destroying public property during the LDF strike against Mr K.M. Mani’s controversial budget presentation.

Justice Babu Mathew P. Joseph passed the order while granting bail to Dineeth V. Nair of Thiruvanthapuram, an accused in a case registered under the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.

The police case is that the petitioner along with the co-accused and around 100 identifiable DYFI activists formed an unlawful assembly in front of the secretariat gate obstructing public pathway and attacked police personnel on duty. Protesters also destroyed the barricades and ropes which caused a financial loss of Rs 1.5 lakh to the government.

The petitioner was arrested on March 25. The court observed that in view of the fact that the accused in the case allegedly caused loss to the tune of Rs 1.50 lakh, the petitioner should be directed to deposit an amount as a condition for releasing him on bail. The court further directed to furnish a bond for Rs 25,000 with two solvent sureties for the like sum.

HC bar on arresting priest
Kerala High Court on Friday asked the police not to arrest Edwin Figarez, a priest with the Lourdes Matha Church, Puthenvelikkara, who is an accused in a rape case, till May 5. Justice Babu Mathew P. Joseph issued the interim order while considering the anticipatory bail plea of Figarez.

The prosecutor submitted that he needed  time to get instruction from the police.  Fr Figarez submitted that the offences had been falsely foisted and  incorporated with a mala fide intention of ruining his future. The petitioner is a  famous priest of the Christian community and is  well known for his retreat all over the world, the petition stated.

He alleged that it was his co-priests, Francis Thaniyadathu and Nixon Kattassery,  who had been inimical towards him, who had cooked up the false case.

In fact, his co-priests  had asked  the mother of the girl to file a case against him because they were envious of the wide acceptance of the petitioner as Dhyana Guru.

Their intention was to harm his reputation. The allegation is that the priest raped the 14-year-old girl in the parsonage of the church from January till March 28, 2015.