The Kerala High Court has initiated proceedings for criminal contempt of court against Congress’s Cultural Affairs Minister KC Joseph, close confidant of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, over his allegedly disrespectful comments against a judge who had made some critical observations against Chandy and the office of the State Advocate General in July last year.
A division bench of the High Court comprising Justices Thottathil B Radhakrishnan and Sunil Thomas ordered issuance of notice to Joseph to appear before it on February 16. Joseph said he would appear before the court to convince it of his “position”. The court initiated the proceedings against him on the basis of a petition filed by Marxist legislator V Sivankutty.
Joseph, who faces the charge of turning against courts and judges often in the context of adverse verdicts, had on July 24 last severely criticized Justice Alexander Thomas of the High Court for his criticisms against the alleged lack of interest of the Advocate General’s office in cases of public interest.