HC stays gag order restraining media from publishing news against Chavara MLA's son

Kochi: The High Court Tuesday stayed a gag order issued by a lower court, restraining the media from publishing news against the son of a legislator in the state assembly.

Justice B Kemal Pasha granted the stay while considering a petition filed by the Chief Editor of Malayala Manorama, challenging the interim order issued by the sub-court judge, Karunagapally, imposing restrictions on the media from publishing any defamatory statements against Chavara MLA Vijayan Pillai's son Sreejith.

"The order issued by sub-court seems to be illegal and against constitutional mandate.. hence operation of the order is stayed," the court said.

The lower court had issued the order on the basis of a complaint filed by Sreejith alleging that his name was being misused in connection with a cheating case in Dubai.

Dubai-based JAAS Tourism had alleged that Binoy Kodiyeri, son of CPI(M) Kerala state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, had cheated it of Rs 13 crore.

There were also reports about Sreejith's role in the cheating case.

The Sub-Court order came on January 3 amid reports that Hasan Ismaeel Abdulla Almarzooqi,owner of the tourism company, had planned to hold a press conference at the Press Club in Thiruvananthapuram yesterday evening with regard to their allegations against sons of political leaders.

However, it was cancelled after the sub-court issued the order with regard to any discussion or publication of news related to the cheating case, in which the son of Chavara MLA was said to be involved.

In its petition,leading Malayalam daily Malayala Manorama submitted that the sub-court has no powers under the Code of Civil Procedure to gag the media from reporting the details of the case.