Vandalism: HC refuses to revisit order

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Monday refused to reconsider its order that if public properties are destroyed under the guise of strikes, the accused should deposit an amount equivalent to or even more than the loss suffered as a condition for granting bail. Justice K T Shankaran passed the order while considering petitions to reconsider the earlier order.“Prevention of Destruction of Public Properties (PDPP) Act was enacted with a view to curb acts of vandalism and damage to public property. If public properties are destroyed, the value of the same or even more should be directed to be deposited by the accused, as a condition for granting bail under Section 437 and 439 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. So, the request for reconsidering the order cannot be accepted,” the court said.The government had backed the court’s decision pointing several SC judgments.The petitioners submitted that the court cannot impose a condition of depositing an amount for granting bail, even if the offences come under PDPP Act.“A rigorous approach is required in granting bail and also imposing condition in the involving destruction of public properties, otherwise the object sought to be achieved by the PDPP Act would be illusory,” the court said.