Toby Antony By Express News Service KOCHI: Politicians including MLAs and MPs taking part in public protests and police registering cases against them are common. However, the latest statistics show that politicians get away scotfree in an overwhelming majority of cases registered on charges of rioting, causing disruption to public lives and others. In one case in which there was conviction, the politician was fined a measly `1,000. The data from the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court (ACJM) — the special court for the trial of criminal cases against MLA and MPs — in Ernakulam district shows that of the 37 cases where the trial procedure was completed, politicians have been exonerated in all but one case. In the one case of conviction, Aluva MLA Anwar Sadath was found guilty of trespassing into railway property and obstructing a train in a case registered by the Railway Protection Force at Aluva in 2018. He was ordered to pay Rs 1,000 as fine. Though the ACJM court began operations in March 2018 with the jurisdiction of all over Kerala, its purview was limited to the district towards the end of that year following the Kerala High Court’s directive. Several cases against MLAs and MPs for unlawful assembly, rioting and traffic disruption pending at various magistrate courts were transferred to the ACJM for carrying out the trial.Officials said a total of 65 cases against MPs and MLAs in the district were referred to the court. In 28 cases, trial is pending. “The police register cases for unlawful assembly and disrupting traffic movement. But when it comes to trial, the state government, which is a party in the cases, withdraws its complaint most of the time. Hence, most cases end in acquittal. Often, the trial remains pending for several years. In rare cases, accused persons plead guilty and are fined. It is only in cases registered by the Railways that the possibility of conviction is high as it does not withdraw from the case during trial stage,” an official said. MLA Antony John takes the lead Of the MLAs and MPs in the district, Kothamangalam MLA Antony John has the highest number of cases against his name and referred to the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court (ACJM). Of the 21 cases referred to the court, Antony was acquitted in 18. Seven cases against Hibi Eden, MP, were referred to the ACJM and he was acquitted in three cases. The remaining four cases are pending. RTI activist and lawyer DB Binu said the purpose of the special court has been dissolved after its jurisdiction was limited to Ernakulam district. In Kerala, it seems ruling parties and the opposition respect each other. They tend to help each legally in cases registered for offences like unlawful assembly and protest activities carried out disrupting the normal lives,” he said. Common charges IPC 143: Unlawful assembly IPC 147: Rioting IPC 283: Danger or obstruction in public way or line of navigation IPC 188: Disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant

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