The High Court granted bail to seven SFI activists accused of stopping Governor Arif Mohammad Khan's car and showing a black flag in Thiruvananthapuram. The SFI activists were charged by the police under the harsher IPC 124 section (assaults or wrongfully restrains, or attempts wrongfully to restrain, or overawes, using criminal force or the show of criminal force).
Thiruvananthapuram: The High Court granted bail to seven SFI activists accused of stopping Governor Arif Mohammad Khan's car and showing a black flag in Thiruvananthapuram. The bail comes with strict instructions, including the requirement to deposit the amount of loss incurred during the protest and provide counseling to the accused through the Legal Services Authority. Initially denied bail, the seven SFI activists sought relief from the High Court through a petition.
The police said that the black flags were waved at Governor Arif Mohammad Khan near Vazhuthacaud in Thiruvananthapuram as he was en route to an event organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry. The SFI activists demonstrated at first by hitting the Governor's vehicle at the camp. Then the protesters ran towards the vehicle and protested near the General Hospital and finally near the Petta Police Station.
The SFI activists were charged by the police under the harsher IPC 124 section (assaults or wrongfully restrains, or attempts wrongfully to restrain, or overawes, using criminal force or the show of criminal force).
Finally, succumbing to the Governor's pressure, the police also charged Section 124 of IPC which is also a non-bailable offense that carries a jail term of up to seven years. Of the total 19 people arrested, 12 were charged with non-bailable offenses. The new section was added by recording the statement of the security officer of Raj Bhavan. Meanwhile, BJP state president K. Surendran alleged that the police leaked the governor's travel information and gave it to SFI.
The Kerala governor accused the Chief Minister after he was reportedly being driven to the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport to depart for Delhi when activists from the CPI(M)'s student branch, the Students Federation of India (SFI), allegedly attacked his car on Monday (Dec 11).
Earlier, the Judicial Magistrate Court rejected the bail plea on December 14. The City Commissioner has denied the allegation that that were was a deliberate failure of the police to control the SFI protest against the Governor. Commissioner CH Nagaraju handed over the report on the protest and attack by the SFI against Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Thursday (Dec 14).
