Kerala HC dismisses plea questioning PM's photo on Covid certificate, impose fine of Rs 1 lakh

Thiruvananthapuram, December 21: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea seeking the removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's photograph from COVID-19 vaccination certificates. The Court has also imposed a cost of ₹1 lakh on the petitioner by terming the petition as "frivolous,", being "politically motivated" and a "publicity interest litigation".

 

 

 

Justice P V Kunhikrishnan said the cost was being imposed to let people and the society know that frivolous pleas like this which waste judicial time will not be entertained by the court. The court also said that the "frivolous contentions" by the petitioner objecting to the PM's photo and his "morale-boosting message" on the vaccination certificate, was "not expected from a citizen of the country".

 

Justice P V Kunhikrishnan directed the petitioner -- Peter Myaliparampil -- to deposit the cost in favour of the Kerala State Legal Services Authority (KeLSA) within six weeks. The court said in case of failure to deposit the cost within the stipulated period, KeLSA shall recover the amount from his assets by initiating revenue recovery proceedings against him.

 

 

 

It also said that when there are thousands of criminal appeals, bail pleas, civil suits, and matrimonial cases pending in the courts, frivolous petitions like the instant one waste judicial time.

 

 

The court had previously observed what was wrong in Covid-19 vaccination certificates carrying the photograph of the Prime Minister when he was elected to power by the people of the country."He became PM because of the mandate of the people. We have different political opinions but he is still our prime minister," the Court had remarked during the hearing of the matter on December 13.

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