The Kerala High Court on Friday, June 30, 2023, dismissed the anticipatory bail pleas by G.J. Shyju, suspended Principal of Christian College Kattakada, Thiruvananthapuram and A Vishak, a former SFI activist in the college in a criminal case registered for illegally substituting one of the elected university union councillors with Vishak in a list sent to the Kerala University.
Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas while rejecting the anticipatory bail petitions, directed them to surrender before the investigation officer on July 4 and subject themselves to interrogation. The court also ordered that in the event of their surrender, the procedure in accordance with the law shall be complied with.
After the pronouncement of the verdict, counsel for the suspended principal submitted that he was willing to surrender before the investigation on July 4 as he wanted to write an examination on July 3 , the date on which he was asked to appear before the investigation officer. The court then directed both the accused to surrender before the investigation officer on July 4.
The Kattakkada police have charged them with offences under 409 (Criminal breach of trust), 419 (Impersonation), 420 (Cheating), 465 (Forgery) and other sections of Indian Penal Code(IPC).
According to the former SFI activist, no elections were held to the unions in the college, as all the candidates were selected unanimously. Since one of the candidates later became medically dispossessed, she voluntarily resigned and a vacancy arose. The principal forwarded the name of the petitioner as one of the representatives to the university unnion based on consensus and was not privy to the act of the principal.
