The Kerala High Court on Tuesday directed the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Amini in Lakshadweep to release on bail those arrested in connection with the protests against the decisions of the island administration. Lakshadweep has been witnessing protests by local people for some days over the recent actions and the administrative reforms. Regulations over beef and liquor, reforms conferring massive powers to administration over private land, among others, in Lakshadweep have sparked a row.
The HC gave the directives on a petition filed by one of those arrested. Reports from the islands said, following the High Court directive, the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court released the 12 people arrested in connection with the protest. Unlike never before, a massive online campaign titled ‘Save Lakshadweep’ was launched last month, asking to retrieve the contentious reforms brought in Lakshadweep. Kerala Assembly on May 31 passed a resolution seeking the removal of Lakshadweep Administrator Praful.
The High Court also directed the Lakshadweep administration to prepare guidelines for evacuating patients in critical condition from the Union Territory to Kochi for providing them treatment. The High Court gave the direction to the Director of Health Services in the islands to formulate the guidelines within 10 days and inform the court.
Considering a writ petition filed by an islander, challenging the order of the DHS, constituting a four-member committee for recommending special evacuation of patients to Kochi from other islands, the court also directed preparation of a guideline for emergency evacuation of patients from other islands to Agatti and Kavaratti. The petitioner alleged that people living in the islands were facing great hardship following the new order and it would delay processing of the evacuation request, endangering the life of the patient.
As per the new order, a committee will recommend special sortie evacuation from Lakshadweep islands to Kochi, Agatti and Kavaratti. "The committee will scrutinise all the relevant documents submitted online by the medical officer in-charge in the respective islands along with the specialist concerned at the IGH and recommend the evacuation case by case," it stated.
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