Opposition Leader VD Satheesan demanded that Sivankutty step down from the ministry. He said the verdict has vindicated the UDF stand that Sivankutty and others should face trial.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a setback to the LDF government, the Chief Judicial Magistrate court here has turned down the discharge petitions filed by General Education Minister V Sivankutty and five other LDF leaders, including former ministers K T Jaleel and E P Jayarajan, in the Assembly bedlam case.
The court has also directed the accused to appear on November 22 where the charges framed against them will be read out.
The court trashed the discharge petitions and accepted the prosecution argument that the footage of TV channels depicting the episode can be considered as evidence of the offence committed. Earlier, the accused had argued that the video footage was doctored and hence cannot be accepted as evidence.
The Supreme Court had earlier ordered the accused to undergo trial.
Reacting to the development, Opposition Leader V D Satheesan demanded that Sivankutty step down from the ministry. He said the court verdict has vindicated the UDF stand that Sivankutty and others should face trial.
“It’s highly shocking that despite the Supreme Court order asking them to undergo trial, the accused moved discharge petitions in the lower court. The public still remembers the act of the accused in the Assembly hall. Since the court has said that video footage of the incident can be considered as evidence, Sivankutty should resign immediately as minister,” Satheesan said.