Kerala High Court Report Reveals 555 Pending Criminal Cases Against Elected Representatives

A recent report submitted by the District Judiciary to the Kerala High Court has disclosed that 555 criminal cases are pending against current and former Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) in the state. The report was filed in a suo motu petition initiated following Supreme Court directives to monitor such cases.

Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader and former legislator M.C. Kamaruddin tops the list with approximately 120 cases pending against him, most of which are under the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Act, 2019 (BUDS Act). These cases are linked to the Fashion Gold Jewellery investment fraud of 2019. Out of the 163 BUDS Act cases registered against people's representatives, Kamaruddin accounts for the majority.

Five representatives are facing sexual harassment charges: Kovalam MLA M. Vincent, former Kazhakuttam MLA M.A. Vaheed, Thrissur MP Suresh Gopi, former Parassala MLA A.T. George, and Kunnathunadu MLA V.P. Sajeendran. Additionally, murder charges are pending against former Koothuparamba MLA P. Jayarajan and former Kalliassery MLA T.V. Rajesh.

The report categorises the cases by type. Besides the BUDS Act cases, over 130 cases involve cheating and fraud. More than 260 cases are registered under offences against public tranquillity, typically charged in connection with protests and demonstrations conducted by political parties.

Geographically, Thiruvananthapuram has the highest number of pending cases against MPs/MLAs at 180, followed by Kasaragod (133) and Kannur (50). The data has been shared with the State Police Chief, who has been directed to remain vigilant in reporting these cases. The Assistant Inspector General of Police has been instructed to file a comprehensive report after reviewing the data from the District Judiciary.