The withdrawal of hundreds of criminal cases booked against Sangh Parivar activists following the 2018 Sabarimala agitations may not be an easy task for the State government considering its legal import.
Sabarimala Karma Samiti, the umbrella organisation that coordinated the protests, estimates that over 6,000 cases involving nearly 16,000 activists have been booked. The Sangh Parivar outfits took to the streets following the Supreme Court order permitting women of all age groups to worship at the temple.
The issue has come under renewed attention with various social and political organisations, including the Samiti, demanding the withdrawal of cases as a precondition for the global meet of Ayyappa devotees planned by the Travancore Devaswom Board at Pampa on September 20.
Clashes with police
The State had witnessed widespread violent incidents during the protests. Activists clashed with police after the January 3, 2019, hartal called by the Samiti, after news emerged that two women had offered prayers at the temple. Rampant destruction of public property was also reported forcing the State government to act tough.
The activists were booked for unlawful assembly, joining an unlawful assembly while armed with a deadly weapon, rioting while armed with a deadly weapon, assault or use of criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging their duty and voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant while they are performing their official duties. Several others have also been booked for disobeying an order promulgated by a public servant, causing danger or obstruction in a public way, attempt to murder and house trespass. The provisions of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act were also invoked.
Leaders involved
Four years ago, the State Cabinet had decided to withdraw the “non-serious” cases booked against those who took part in the protests. Samiti leaders S.J.R. Kumar and K.P. Sasikala had the most number of cases booked against them, around 1,000 cases each, in almost all the police stations of the State. State BJP leaders, including K. Surendran, P.S. Sreedharan Pillai, V. Muraleedharan, and K.S. Radhakrishnan, also have a large number of cases booked against them. The Samiti has shelled out ₹4.5 crore to fight the cases, said Mr. Kumar.
Even if the State government takes a political decision to withdraw the cases, it would eventually be the trial courts, before which the cases have been charged, that would decide on the matter. The courts can reject the plea of the State government and seek further pursuance of the cases. En masse withdrawal of cases is unlikely to happen, pointed out senior legal experts of the State government.
Published – September 07, 2025 07:05 pm IST
