Vadakara Member of Parliament Shafi Parambil has been convicted in connection with a case involving the blockade of a national highway in Palakkad. The Palakkad Judicial First Class Magistrate Court sentenced him to imprisonment till the rising of the court and imposed a fine of ₹1,000.
The case relates to a protest held on June 24, 2022, when Shafi Parambil led a demonstration blocking the national highway to protest the vandalisation of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s MP office in Wayanad by SFI activists. The blockade took place near the Chembalod bridge at Chandranagar, with around 40 Youth Congress workers participating. At the time, Shafi Parambil was serving as the Palakkad MLA.
Court proceedings noted that the MP had repeatedly failed to appear before the court, prompting the issuance of an arrest warrant against him last week. The verdict was delivered shortly thereafter, with the court directing him to remain present until 5 pm.
In the same case, the ninth accused, P. Sarin, had earlier appeared before the court and paid a fine of ₹500. Sarin was a Congress worker at the time of the incident.
The ruling brings the long-pending case to a close, drawing fresh political attention to protests and public demonstrations that disrupt essential road networks.
