The Kerala high court was a host to dramatic scenes on Thursday with the single judge Justice S.S. Satheesachandran quashing the First Information Report filed in the land allotment case against Opposition leader V.S. Achuthanadan in the morning and the division bench of the high court of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice A.M. Shaffique granting a stay to the order in the afternoon. Unleashing a scathing attack on the proceedings against the Opposition leader, Justice Satheesachandran said that missionary of the vigilance is misused and abused to silence a political opponent by framing a case against him on false and frivolous allegations unworthy of any merit. However, the verdict delivered at 10.15 am and the observations contained therein went for a toss with the division bench accepting the contention of the advocate-general K.P. Dandapani that the single judge quashed the First Information Report even without inspecting the case diary which was offered by the prosecution. He informed the court Mr Achuthanadan had approached the Supreme Court with the prayer of quashing the FIR but later withdrew it and filed a case in the high court. The longest courtroom in the high court was packed with advocates and others who in rapt silence lent their ears to the proceedings which began at 1.45 pm.
