Kerala High Court Today (July 17) stayed the criminal case against CM Pinarayi Vijayan related to his 2023 Nava Kerala Sadas speech. The court granted a 3-month stay, stating the speech did not incite violence.
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KOCHI: The Kerala High Court gave temporary relief to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan by stopping the criminal case against him for three months.
This case was filed because of a speech he made during the Nava Kerala Sadas event in 2023. It was alleged that this speech caused political violence in the state.
Justice VG Arun of the Kerala High Court granted this temporary stay while listening to the Chief Minister’s petition. The CM had challenged an earlier order given by the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) of Ernakulam.
That order had allowed legal action to move forward and asked for permission (sanction) to prosecute.
The case was based on a complaint made by Congress leader Muhammed Shiyas. He claimed that the Chief Minister’s words in November 2023 – spoken after protestors waved black flags in Kannur – had led to violent attacks on Youth Congress members across Kerala.
The background of this issue goes back to November 20, 2023, when Youth Congress workers tried to block the CM’s vehicle during the Nava Kerala Sadas tour. The very next day, the CM gave a speech.
In his plea to the High Court, CM Pinarayi Vijayan explained that in his speech, he only praised the local people who had stopped the protestors from falling in front of the CM’s moving bus. He clarified that he did not encourage violence or revenge.
His petition clearly stated that the speech only highlighted the actions of the bystanders as:
“Life-saving”
It further argued that there was no suggestion in the speech for any violent response or retaliation.
After this speech, there were three separate political violence incidents reported in different parts of Kerala. In each case, the police registered FIRs (First Information Reports) but none of these mentioned or blamed the Chief Minister.
Still, Muhammed Shiyas, who is a political figure, filed a private complaint at the Ernakulam CJM Court. He claimed that CM Pinarayi Vijayan’s speech led to these violent events and should be treated as helping or encouraging the crimes (abetment).
The CM’s legal team informed the court that:
“Though the Police submitted a report under Section 202 CrPC finding no material against the petitioner, the Ld. Magistrate rejected the negative report and opined that the petitioner’s speech prima facie amounts to instigation of criminal offences.”
The petition argued that this order from the Magistrate was completely wrong and should be cancelled.
- The Chief Minister was represented in court by his lawyer, Gilbert George Correya.
CASE TITLE:
Pinarayi Vijayan v. State of Kerala and another.
Crl.M.C. No. 6284/2025
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