Frequent Attacks From Political Rivals: Municipal Chairperson Moves Kerala High Court Seeking Police Protection

The Chairperson of the Thrikkakara Municipality has moved the Kerala High Court seeking police protection apprehending danger to her life and limbs from members of the rival political party and their henchmen. The petitioner Ajitha Thankappan heads the governing body constituted by the majority Councillors belonging to the Indian National Congress who emerged victorious in the latest local self-government elections.Filed through Advocate S. Jamal, the petition accuses certain councillors of the Municipality belonging to the opposition party of engaging in several mischievous attempts to upset the functioning of the new Governing Council since its inception. The plea narrates numerous instances where the respondents purportedly abused the process of law by filing a couple of frivolous petitions challenging the petitioner's decisions solely to malign the Council and to shake the confidence of the people.Upon failure of their frivolous petitions, the respondents allegedly hired certain anti-social elements with the aid of their political party workers to unleash violence in the guise of agitation, states the plea.Consequently, the functioning of the Municipality was completely paralysed amidst the pandemic, the plea alleges. The petitioner adds that the respondents perpetrated an attack on the Municipal staff and even engaged in the destruction of public property. When these interruptions became unendurable, multiple police complaints were registered against the miscreants and the opposition councillors inciting them. However, due to prolonged inaction, the Municipality had approached the Court earlier seeking police protection for the peaceful functioning of the Municipality. Accordingly, considering the circumstances, the Court had passed an interim order granting police protection to the Municipality, which is still in force. Nevertheless, after a few days, the police unilaterally withdrew protection and this virtually facilitated resumption of the dreadful situation and havoc disrupting the functioning of the Municipality by the opposition, submits the petitioner.Following this, a contempt petition was filed before the court which is still pending. Frustrated by their repeated failure, the opposition councillors allegedly launched propaganda and spread allegations of capturing, maiming and killing several stray dogs in the Municipality. This episode had shocked the entire State and the proceedings of the same are still ongoing in the Court. The plea alleges that this was a cunningly crafted politically motivated plot designed to undermine the functioning of the Municipality and to harm the reputation of the present Governing Council. According to the petitioner, when the Municipality was impleaded in the proceedings, she had submitted a detailed affidavit before the Court exposing the truth behind the situation. When all their attempts failed, the Opposition Councilors have allegedly cooked up yet another cock and bull story alleging that the petitioner had paid money to the Councillors as an Onam gift. Moreover, the respondents apparently influenced the State Vigilance and Anti Corruption Bureau officer to conduct an enquiry into the same using their political support.Although all the members are cooperating duly with the said enquiry, the petitioner accuses the same of being carried out in an oppressive, tainted, premeditated, arbitrary, illegal and unfair manner. The plea goes on to narrate several instances where the Councillor was allegedly tortured and wrongfully confined by the respondents. In one of such incidents, she is said to have been threatened to resign if she wanted to live. On the said grounds, the petitioner prays for continued police protection to enter her office and discharge her statutory functions. The plea also calls for stringent actions against the respondents for the heinous crimes they allegedly committed against the petitioner. Case Title: Ajitha Thankappan v. The Asst. Police Commissioner & Ors

Frequent Attacks From Political Rivals: Municipal Chairperson Moves Kerala High Court Seeking Police Protection

Hannah M Varghese

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