HC imposes cost on parishioner

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Thursday imposed a cost of `50,000 on a member of the Jacobite faction who filed a petition seeking to review the order of the court granting police protection to Fr Thomas Paul Ramban of Orthodox faction and vicar of Marthoma Cheriya Palli, Kothamangalam. The court directed the petitioner - Bibin Basil - to pay the amount to Kerala State Legal Service Authority (KELSA) within two weeks. If the amount was not paid within the time, the KELSA should forward the order to the Ernakulam District Collector and he should take steps to recover the amount under the Kerala Revenue Recovery Act.

While dismissing the petition, Justice A Hariprasad observed the attempt to misuse or abuse the justice administration system with ulterior motives has to be nixed at the first opportunity.This was a case where the petitioner has exceeded all the limits of abusing the process of the court.

He had shown the audacity to challenge a catena of decisions of the highest court of the land. And he levelled the challenges consciously knowing that the High Court cannot brush aside the binding precedents based on his whimsical contentions.