KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday stayed a gag order issued by a lower restraining the media from publishing news against the son of CPI-M MLA Vijayan Pillai’s son in the State Assembly.

The legislator’s son Sreejit had filed a complaint based on which the court issued the order, copies of which were sent to the Thiruvananthapuram Press Club and other vernacular media organisations.

Justice B. Kemal Pasha granted the stay while considering the petition filed by the editor of a vernacular daily, challenging the interim order issued by the sub-court judge, Karunagapally, imposing restrictions on the media from publishing any defamatory statements against Sreejit.

“The order issued by sub-court seems to be illegal and against constitutional mandate… hence operation of the order is stayed,” the court said.

The lower court had issued the order on the basis of a complaint filed by Sreejit alleging that his name was being misused in connection with a cheating case in Dubai.

Dubai-based JAAS Tourism had alleged that Binoy Kodiyeri, son of CPI-M State unit Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, had cheated it to the tune of Rs. 13 crores. There were also reports about Sreejit’s role in the case.