The High Court on Wednesday directed the State government to comply with its order for providing police protection to the construction works of the Vizhinjam international seaport. The court issued the directive when the petitions filed by Adani Vizhinjam Port Pvt. Ltd. and others, seeking contempt of court proceedings against the State government for not complying with the High Court order, came up for hearing.
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The court observed that it was for the government to see that ingress and egress to the project site were not blocked. The protest could go on peacefully. There was no question of any interference in any peaceful protest. But the entrance and exit could not be blocked.
The counsel for the petitioners submitted that the sub-divisional magistrate had said in an order that the protesters posed a grave law and order issue by installing sheds in front of the Vizhinjam seaport. The life and property of the workers, policemen and security personnel guarding the port were under threat. Besides, these sheds had become a spot for miscreants to damage public property and create communal tension.
In a report, the tahsildar of Neyyattinkara also said that the main entrance to the port was still being obstructed by the protesters.