In a major blow to Lakshadeep MP Mohammed Faizal, the Supreme Court on August 22 set aside the Kerala HC order suspending Faizal's conviction and sentencing in an attempt-to murder case.
The top court remanded the matter back to the high court and asked it to decide afresh the lawmaker's application seeking a stay of his conviction within this period.
Terming the Kerala High Court's approach as 'erroneous, the top court pointed out, that it considered only one aspect that the respondent was a member of Parliament.
The top court temporarily protected the status of Faizal as an MP, saying the benefit of the high court’s impugned order, staying the suspension, will remain in operation during the period keeping in mind that there should not be any “vacuum” with regard to representation of the Lakshadweep Lok Sabha constituency in Parliament.