Contempt charges against CPM Leader

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Monday ordered a chargesheet to be issued against CPM state committee member M V Jayarajan in a contempt of court case.A Division Bench comprising Justice A K Basheer and Justice PQ Barkath Ali also directed Jayarajan to appear before the court on June 8.The court suo motu initiated contempt proceedings against Jayarajan after he made some critical comments against judges for banning roadside public meetings."Prima facie, there is contempt in the comment made by Jayarajan," observed the court. Available documents and video clippings and submissions by amicus curiae validate the contempt proceedings against Jayarajan, it added.The court dismissed the argument by Jayarajan that there was no contempt in his statements. Jayarajan was of the view that banning roadside meetings was denial of justice. He further claimed that he had not criticised the judgment or judges but just pointed out the errors in the judgment.Justice Pius C Kuriakose, who looked into the matter as directed by the Chief Justice, had observed that if proved true, Jayarajan's statement would be contempt of court.