The Kerala High Court has dismissed a public interest petition that sought stricter enforcement of its earlier directives governing the use of Thekkinkadu Maidan—the historic open ground surrounding the Vadakkumnathan Temple in Thrissur—as the venue for the 64th State School Arts Festival, and has imposed a monetary fine on the petitioner.
A Division Bench of the High Court, comprising Justices V. Raja Vijayaraghavan and K.V. Jayakumar, heard the plea filed by a Thrissur resident K. Narayanan Kutty, who alleged that the conditions set by the court for holding the arts festival on the Maidan were not fully followed. Mr. Kutty claimed, among other things, that tree branches were cut and removed from the ground to facilitate festival preparations, in violation of the court’s “green protocol”.
However, the court noted that the petition lacked clear and specific factual details. The Bench observed that although it had earlier permitted the use of the Maidan for the festival subject to conditions—such as prohibitions on cutting trees and on cooking or serving non-vegetarian food within the premises, and a strict requirement to adhere to environmentally sensitive protocols—these allegations were “not specifically pleaded” in the petition. Because of this lack of precise information, the court held that the petition amounted to a misuse of the judicial process.
In its order, the court dismissed the plea and directed the petitioner to pay a cost of ₹5,000, to be deposited with the High Court Legal Services Committee within one month. The fine reflects the court’s displeasure over the manner in which the petition was filed without sufficient supporting evidence, despite the sensitive nature of environmental and heritage concerns surrounding the use of the Maidan.
The High Court’s ruling reaffirms that petitions brought before it must be backed by clear facts and not merely generalized allegations, especially when involving issues of public interest and cultural heritage.
News as reported
