Kerala HC suspends conviction, sentence of suspended Lakshadweep MP Mohammed Faizal in attempt to murder case
The Hindu
The High Court also suspended the sentence of three other accused in a case of attempt to murder of Mohammed Salih, son-in-law of former Union Minister P.M. Sayeed
The Kerala High Court on Wednesday suspended the conviction and sentence of 10 years of rigorous imprisonment awarded by the Kavarathi Sessions Court to disqualified Lakshadweep MP Mohammed Faizal in a case of attempt to murder Mohammed Salih, son-in-law of former Union Minister P.M. Sayeed, during the 2009 Lok sabha polls.
Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas, while passing the order, observed that the decriminalisation of politics was the essential requirement of every democracy.
The court took into consideration that elected candidate could continue for a limited period alone when fresh election was held could not be brushed aside.
The court noted that it was its duty as a constitutional court to advance the constitutional objectives including the purity in politics. However, these could not be the resaons for denying the principles of law, it observed.
The High Court added that that the ramification of not suspending the conviction and sentence awarded to Mohamed Faizal was enormous and drastic. The cumbersome process and exorbitant cost of the parliamentary elections would have to be born by the nation and indirectly by the people, it said. Besides, the new election process would lead to various development activities in Lakshadweep coming to a halt for a few weeks, the court said.
The court, however, supended only the sentence of the other accused.
While residents are worried over deaths due to diarrhoea in Vijayawada, officials still grapple to find the root cause. Contaminated drinking water supplied by VMC officials is the reason, insist people in the affected areas, but officials insist that efforts are on to identify the disease and that those with symptoms other than diarrhoea too are visiting the health camps.