The Kerala High Court on Friday stayed proceedings on a case filed by media persons against suspended Kozhikode Town SI Vimodh until August 16.
Vimodh was suspended on July 30 for preventing media persons from entering Kozhikode court and detaining them, allegedly on verbal instructions from the Zilla Judge. After the judge issued a statement that he did not instruct the police to do so, DGP Loknath Behera suspended the SI.
Based on a complaint by media persons, a case was also filed against the officer for wrongful confinement and voluntarily causing hurt.
Hearing a petition filed by SI Vimodh, Justice Kemal Pasha granted a stay on proceedings against the officer till August 16, Reporter TV reports.
The court said that issues between the media persons and lawyers must be solved amicably. It also issued a word of caution to both parties, saying that people with selfish interests shouldn’t be allowed to take advantage of the situation.
On July 30, members of the media had gone to the Kozhikode court to report on the filing of an appeal in the infamous ice cream parlour case by CPI(M) veteran VS Achuthanandan. SI Vimodh not only prevented them from entering the court, but also detained some journalists when they went to the police station to claim their OB van, which the police had taken into custody.
More than 100 High Court lawyers had moved the court on behalf of SI Vimodh. Senior advocate Vijaya Bhanu appeared for the officer as the designated senior lawyer.