High court notice to Kerala electricity minister

Kochi, May 8 (UNI) The Kerala high court today issued notice to state Power Minister A K Balan and MLA M Chandran on a petition filed by one P Sandeep of Kakkanad here.

The petitioner has sought the setting aside of the order of the additional sessions court, Palakkad, which stayed an arrest warrant issued by the judicial magistrate court in Ottapalam against the minister and the MLA.

The Ottapalam judicial magistrate court had sentenced Mr Balan and seven others to imprisonment for two years on charges of obstructing train services during a ''rail roko'' organised by the LDF in December 2000 to protest against some of the Centre's policy decisions.

The petitioner also sought a direction to the district and sessions court Palakkad to hear the criminal appeal filed by the minster and the MLA and pass judgment expeditiously.

UNI