Kochi: In a blow to the Left government, a city court in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday dismissed the discharge petitions filed by Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty and five other LDF leaders in connection with violence in the state Assembly in 2015.
The Thiruvananthapuram Chief Judicial Magistrate court observed that the leaders should face trial and directed the leaders to appear in the court on November 22 for further hearing.
Former ministers E P Jayarajan and K T Jaleel, legislators Kunjahmed Master, C K Sadasivan and K Ajith are the others facing trial pertaining to a violent protest in the state Assembly on March 13, 2015.
The incident occurred when the LDF was trying to prevent the then Finance Minister K M Mani from presenting the state budget, accusing him of taking bribes from bar owners to favour them. The Left government’s attempt to withdraw the case was rejected by the Supreme Court in July.
Recently the accused also maintained that the video footage of the violence in the house was manipulated.
