Kerala CPI-M leader in jail for 19 days

Firebrand CPI-M leader M.V. Jayarajan was Monday evening lodged at the Central Jail here and would remain in jail for 19 days.

Jayarajan Monday surrendered to the Kerala High Court registrar who handed him over to the police.

The Supreme Court last Friday upheld his conviction for using unparliamentary language against state high court judges.

While the Kerala High Court had sentenced him to six months in jail, following his appeal, the apex court reduced it four weeks' simple imprisonment.

Since he had already served nine days in jail after the Kerala High Court convicted him, his stay in the jail here would be for 19 days.

He, in July 2010 while speaking at a public meeting, after the high court banned road-side meetings, spoke in unparliamentary language about the manner in which the judges pass judgments.

The high court acting on a PIL on his utterances began the trial in October 2010 and convicted him for contempt and awarded six months' imprisonment Nov 8, 2011, but a few days later he was given bail by the apex court.

Jayarajan, 54, is a two-time former CPI-M legislator from Kannur.

He is the first political leader in the state to be jailed in a contempt of court case.