Kochi: A high court division bench on Tuesday granted former KPCC chief and MP K Sudhakaran a further 10 days to appear before it in a criminal contempt case alleging that he had made certain remarks against HC judges in connection with a case related to the Mattannur Shuhaib murder.The bench of Justices V Raja Vijayaraghavan and K V Jayakumari adjourned the matter to July 8 after considering Sudhakaran’s request for additional time to appear before the court owing to health issues. Earlier, Sudhakaran had filed an affidavit tendering an unconditional apology for the alleged remarks made during a public function in Kannur.According to the complaint, while referring to a division bench judgment that set aside a single judge’s order entrusting the Shuhaib murder case to CBI, Sudhakaran allegedly stated that the judges were out of their minds while pronouncing the judgment and that such demeaning verdicts would erode public confidence in the judiciary. Sudhakaran, in his affidavit, contended that the alleged statement was momentary and impulsive in nature and was not the result of any deliberate or malicious intent. He further stated that the impugned remarks were made spontaneously in a moment of anger, frustration, and emotional distress arising from the prevailing circumstances. He also tendered an unconditional apology for the adverse remarks.S P Shuhaib, a Youth Congress functionary, was allegedly hacked to death by a group of CPM workers in 2018.
