Kerala - Kochi

Ernakulam Collector asked to appear before court

KOCHI: A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Friday directed Ernakulam District Collector M. Beena to appear in person before the High Court on July 30 in a contempt of court case.

The Bench comprising Chief Justice H.L. Dattu and Justice A.K. Basheer issued the direction on a contempt case filed by the Kerala Chamber of Commerce and Industry Secretary S.A. Mansoor.

According to the petitioner, the Collector had failed to comply with the High Court directive to reconstruct within four months the footpath and pavements on the sides of the M.G. Road in Ernakulam. The direction had come on a writ petition seeking to restore/reconstruct the footpath and pavement that were demolished as part of an eviction drive. The petitioner complained that the Collector had not taken any action to implement the direction even after seven months. The petitioner said that the Collector had committed contempt of court.

Justice R. Basant on Friday issued notice to the district magistrate (District Collector), Kottayam, Superintendent of Police, Kottayam, and others on a petition challenging the district magistrate’s order prohibiting prayers on the premises of the Heavenly Feast. The petition was filed by Mathew Kuruvila and another trustee of the Heavenly Feast. They contended that they had been conducting services on the premises near Nagampadam for four years and that the district magistrate had no authority to pass the order.

Justice R. Basant on Friday dismissed a petition filed by Kayilasanath of Kochi who had coordinated the marriage of Santhosh Madhavan who was arrested on charges of cheating an NRI and raping minor girls.

The court observed that the dismissal of the petition would not stand in the way of the petitioner moving the magistrate court for getting direction.

The petitioner alleged that he was yet to get Rs.7 lakh spent for Santhosh Madhavan’s marriage.

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