Judiciary cracks down on second LDF minister in a month

Kochi, Apr 13 (UNI) The relations between the Left Front Government in Kerala and the local courts took another downturn today with the state high court rejecting the ''unconditional apology'' tendered by Local Self Government Minister Paloli Mohammed Kutty and deciding to proceed with a contempt of court case against him.

Last month, a lower court in Ottapalam had issued an arrest warrant against State Electricity Minister A K Balan for not appearing in court in connection with the blockade of trains in Palakkad District in December, 2000.

Mr Balan, through his counsel, had pleaded that he could not come to the court because he was busy in the Assembly. The magistrate, however, rejected his plea and sentenced him to two years' imprisonment and issued an arrest warrant against him.

This prompted the Left Front Government to pass a resolution in the assembly on March 27condemning the magistrate's action terming it as infringement on the legislature.

The resolution was passed in the absence of the Opposition UDF members, which described it as amounting to a confrontation with the judiciary and disrespect to the courts.

Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan, defending the resolution, had said the ''legislature is not a slave of the judiciary and we should all be proud of this resolution.'' The high court, while rejecting Mr Paloli Mohammed Kutty's apology today, said his offending remarks, which were widely circulated by the media, were ''scurrilous'' and would have a great impact on the mind of the people as he was holding a responsible position.

UNI