The Kerala High Court dismissed as infructuous a petition filed by an expelled Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader seeking police protection in relation to the release of a contentious book alleging mismanagement and irregularities in party funds, including martyrs’ funds. The petitioner, V. Kunhikrishnan, who was formerly a district committee member of the party, approached the High Court asserting that he faced credible threats to his personal safety and to the security of attendees at the book launch event due to the controversial nature of the allegations contained in the book. The petition contended that after announcing the publication and release event, which was scheduled to be held in a public venue in Payyannur, Kannur, there had been hostile responses including protests and incidents involving supporters, and that influential party leaders were allegedly instigating elements to intimidate or physically obstruct dissemination of the book.
Kunhikrishnan’s book, titled Nethruthwathe Anigal Thiruthanam — generally translated as a call for rank-and-file members to correct leadership — reportedly sets out detailed allegations of financial misappropriation including purported misuse of funds collected in the name of party martyrs and other party funds. He alleged in his petition that some of these issues involved leaders of the CPI(M), including a current legislator, and that his efforts to raise the matter internally had been ignored, ultimately leading to his expulsion from party ranks. The petition described an atmosphere of intimidation and heightened tensions, and sought directions for police protection to ensure that he and the participants at the book’s release event were not subjected to violence or harassment.
Ahead of the scheduled launch, the High Court had issued directions requiring local police authorities to provide adequate security and protection to Kunhikrishnan and to the event, indicating judicial cognisance of the potential for law and order concerns arising from political controversy and public dissent. Notices had also been issued to several party leaders named as respondents in the petition, reflecting the court’s engagement with the allegations of threats and hostility surrounding the publication. However, by the time of the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel submitted to the court that the matter had become “infructuous” — meaning that it had lost its practical significance, presumably because the book release event had already taken place and the circumstances prompting the request for protection had passed. Recording this submission, the court dismissed the plea without delving further into the substantive claims for protection.
Separate media reports indicate that the book launch was indeed conducted under police supervision in Kerala’s Kannur district, drawing a large turnout and significant public attention despite resistance and criticism from within the CPI(M). The event reportedly saw strong attendance and brisk sales of the book, with speakers and supporters expressing solidarity and echoing calls for reform within the party. At the same time, key party leaders had publicly rejected the allegations contained in the book, with some threatening legal action against the author if the book contained unverified or defamatory content. The controversy also intersected with broader political debates locally, including scrutiny over accountability for funds raised for martyrs and veteran party workers.
By dismissing the petition as infructuous after the fact of the contested event, the High Court effectively concluded its involvement in the interim security aspects of the matter, while the underlying political dispute and competing narratives about fund management and internal party governance continue to reverberate in Kerala’s public sphere. The case underscored judicial considerations regarding the protection of individual safety amid politically charged circumstances, and the procedural scope and timing of judicial intervention when events move forward independently of court proceedings.
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