In a significant legal development for one of Kerala’s most influential community organizations, a Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Monday stayed a single-bench order that had previously disqualified the entire Board of Directors of the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam.
The interim stay provides immediate relief to General Secretary Vellappally Natesan and other prominent leaders of the organization, which represents the numerically strong Ezhava community in the state.
The matter reached the Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V M, following an appeal against a judgment delivered by Justice T R Ravi. The single bench had earlier ordered the disqualification of all office-bearers and the Board of Directors, citing alleged non-compliance with statutory requirements under the Companies Act.
The original disqualification order had targeted high-profile figures within the Yogam, including:
- Vellappally Natesan (General Secretary)
- Thushar Vellappally
- M N Soman * Santhosh (also known as Arayakkandil Santhosh)
The single-bench ruling originated from a batch of petitions, including one filed by the late Professor M K Sanoo, which alleged significant irregularities in the functioning and management of the organization.
Challenging the disqualification, Natesan and the other board members contended that the writ petitions filed against them were not maintainable in the High Court. Their primary legal argument centered on jurisdiction, asserting that issues regarding the disqualification of directors and the internal management of a company fall strictly under the Companies Act, 2013.
The appellants argued that such disputes should be adjudicated by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) rather than through writ jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution.
The case has seen rapid developments over the past week. When the Division Bench first considered the matter on March 19, it declined to grant an immediate stay. Instead, the court directed the maintenance of the status quo until a new list of directors was formally presented.
However, during the subsequent hearing on Monday, the court opted to issue a formal stay on the single-bench order, effectively reinstating the standing of the current office-bearers pending further judicial scrutiny.
The SNDP Yogam remains a pivotal social and community entity in Kerala, and the High Court’s decision to stay the mass disqualification ensures the current leadership remains in place as the legal battle over the organization’s governance continues.
