‘Any Attempt To Demand Gawking Charges To Be Treated As Extortion & Penalised Under Most Stringent Provisions’: Kerala High Court

[01 November 2021]
The Kerala High Court made it clear that any attempt made in the State to demand gawking charges (popularly known as nokkukooli) will be penalised under the most stringent provisions of law under the offence of extortion. Justice Devan Ramachandran was, however, pleased to be informed that the State government had taken a keen interest in the matter and had initiated positive steps towards the eradication of the practice: “There is finally some movement in the resolve against nokkukooli after this Court came down heavily on the statutory authorities through the last two orders. The Government Pleader informed this Court that stringent steps and measures have been taken to ensure that even the concept of nokkukooli is obliterated forever from our State and that the honourable Chief Minister has personally taken an initiative for this purpose.”