The Kerala High Court, consisting of Justice Jayashankar Nambiar and Justice Mohammed Niaz, dismissed the revision petition filed against the confiscation of the assets of Popular Front of India (PFI) workers as compensation for the losses incurred due to public property destruction in connection with the PFI flash hartal of September 23, 2023.
The court said the confiscation of the assets is in compliance with the Revenue Recovery Procedures. The court also said that Claim Tribunal procedures to assess the loss are in progress. The accused, who were in jail, were served with the recovery notice through the jail authorities without fail. District-wise segregation of the losses is in process.
The total losses incurred in hartal violence is Rs 5.2 crore. It has to be recovered from PFI State Secretary A. Abdul Sathar and the organisation he led.
The court expressed displeasure on December 19, 2022, over the government’s failure to comply with its order and initiate proceedings for confiscating the assets from the accused.
The latest HC order is a heavy blow not only to PFI but also to the CPM and its CM Pinarayi Vijayan.
The legal proceedings highlight the judiciary’s commitment to addressing the aftermath of public disturbances and ensuring accountability for damages caused during such events.
