Mohammed Riaz, son-in-law CM PInarayi Vijayan and Kerala minister for PWD & Tourism has paid Rs 420,000 as ordered by the Court. Court order was in connection with the public property destruction case. A team of Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of CPM, led by the then Kozhikode district secretary Mohammed Riyaz, attacked Vatakara Head Post Office on January 19, 2011. The attack was part of the agitation against the union government. Computer, HCL Kiosk machine, telephone, windows, etc. were destroyed in the attack. The vandalism was engineered despite the prevalence of The Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.
Case was registered against 12 people with Mohammed Riaz as the first accused. Vatakara Sub Court had sentenced the punishment in 2014. Even though the accused filed the appeal petition before the district court, it upheld the punishment on November 9, 2017. When the appeal was filed before the High Court, it was not accepted due to delay. But, the accused kept on evading the payment of the penalty for several years together. Adv. M. Rajeshkumar, the Central Government Standing Counsel and Public Prosecutor, submitted the application for the implementation of the judgement. Consequently, arrest warrant was issued against Mohammed Riaz, the minister. As a result, the minister and team paid the penalty. Prosecution had failed in the criminal case in connection with the incident. But, it was due to the arguments of the Central Government Standing Counsel that both Courts ordered to pay the penalty.
Even though Prosecution did not succeed in proving the crime before the court, Central Government Standing Counsel came out with flying colours in the same legal battle on the basis of the same FIR, mahazar, same witnesses, same policemen and officers.
It is reported that most of the accused are government servants hence if they are convicted and if the penalty amount exceeds Rs 2,600, they were likely to lose the job. Therefore, it was alleged that political influence played powerful role to make sure that offence would not be proved. Now, the Sub Court ordered the 12 accused, including the minister, to settle the penalty of Rs 129,000. District Court upheld it. Since the payment was delayed, Rs 420,000 including interest and the implementation charges was paid. Legal experts believe that this is a classic example of the state government’s failure in prosecution processes.
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