NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its verdict on the correctness of concurrent decisions of a Kerala magistrate and the High Court rejecting public prosecutors plea for withdrawal of cases under Prevention of Destruction of Public Property Act against left party MLAs for indulging in vandalism inside the House during presentation of 2015-16 Budget.
The judgment on this appeal, filed by Kerala government, would have far reaching implications for most important democratic institutions - Parliament and the Assemblies. If the bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and M R Shah upholds the HC verdict, then it would have a salutary deterrent effect on unruly behaviour by MPs and MLAs who indulge in scuffle, destruction of furniture, uprooting of mikes and throwing of chairs inside the House. Conversely, if the SC allows withdrawal of prosecution against some Kerala MLAs, it would encourage rowdiness inside legislatures.