Kerala, Sept 29th, 2022: Kerala High Court on Friday directed the now-banned Popular Front of India(PFI) to deposit ₹5.2 crores to the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation(KSRTC) for damages caused during the organisation’s statewide ‘hartals’.
A division bench of Justices A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and Mohammed Nias C P ordered that the amount of Rs 5.20 crore be deposited within two weeks. The deposit order was sent to the radical outfit’s State General Secretary A Abdul Sathar.
The bench stated that “irrespective of the person, political party or association of persons which called for the same, and that those who violated the said order would be liable for the consequences that flowed from their illegal acts”.
The court further said that if the amount is not deposited within two weeks, then the state by invoking the provisions under the Revenue Recovery Act would have full authority to take action against the party’s proceeds as well as the personal assets of its members including the Secretary.
The state informed that the loss of public property was mainly borne by the KSRTC. The PFI workers attacked the KSRTC buses at several places and smashed the windscreen. KSRTC suffered an estimated loss of Rs 25 lakh approximately.
