Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Sept 29: The Kerala High Court ordered the Popular Front of India (PFI) on Thursday to make a provisional deposit of 5.20 crores in order to cover the costs estimated by the State Government and the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) for the damage to property in the State as a result of the flash hartal the organisation was prohibited from calling for on September 23.
Political parties who engage in flash hartals in direct defiance of the Court’s prior direction will suffer serious repercussions, according to a division bench comprising Justices AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and Mohammed Nias CP.
“Flash hartals in the State are not going to happen irrespective of political parties. The life of citizens cannot be put to trouble. The message is loud and clear. If anyone does this, there will be consequences,” the bench said orally.
“Organizations can have demonstrations against any cause, the Constitution permits that but not flash hartals. Any demonstration that causes inconvenience to public by way of obstruction of roads, traffic etc. is not permitted,” the bench added.
According to the Court, a claim commissioner has already been chosen, and he will determine how much PFI paid to resolve the claims.
The Court further stated that the State will take recovery proceedings against the PFI if they failed to deposit the money with the Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department.
The Court instructed the Magistrates and Sessions Court that whenever a bail application based on the PFI hartal issue comes up, the bail should be granted on the condition that they deposit the amount lost due to the property damaged. This was done because it was brought to the Court’s attention that several criminal cases have been registered for the damages caused during the hartal.
Taking note of the fact that the PFI had called for a hartal without providing the required 7-day notice, the Kerala High Court issued the ruling in suo motu contempt proceedings that it had started on September 23, the day the hartal was called.
