Kerala High Court Seeks State's Response On Plea For Action Against Opposition Leader VD Satheesan For Alleged COVID Protocol Violation

The Kerala High Court sought response from the State about the action taken on a complaint filed against VD Satheesan, Leader of Opposition, for allegedly violating Covid-19 protocol.

The division bench comprising Justices A. Muhamed Mustaque and Kauser Edappagath was considering a writ petition filed by N.Arun, who had filed the complaint before Director General of Police, in this regard.

In his complaint, N. Arun alleged that, On 22.05.2021, the Congress leader VD Satheesan, after he was declared as opposition leader of the Kerala State Legislative Assembly, appeared in public, along with numerous supporters, by violating Covid 19 norms. He also allegedly visited Chellanan where he was given a reception attended by hundreds of supporters and also conducted a press meeting in the district office of the Indian National Congress at Ernakulam without complying any of the norms of the lockdown protocol.

The petitioner submitted that till now the police has not registered the crime and therefore sought a direction to the Police to register a crime against VD Satheesan for commission of cognizable offences under Section 7 of the Kerala Epidemic Diseases Ordinance 2021.

"Openly organizing huge gatherings for celebrations and receptions on his selection as opposition leader in utter disregard to the Covid Norms, militates against the concept of responsibility and restrain, which ought to have been shown by a Peoples' representative, from whom the public expects model conduct, worthy to be emulated, in the pandemic times.", Arun stated in the writ petition filed through Advocate S. Renjith.

"When the police are proceeding against ordinary citizens, with stringent measures, by booking crimes even against trivial infraction of Covid norms, it is not justifiable on their part not to take cognizance of the huge infraction of violation of Covid norms, by prominent political leaders. This conduct militates against the concept of rule of law and equality, enshrined in the Constitution of India and smacks malice and give a very wrong signal to the society at large", the plea states.