The Kerala High Court on Thursday reserved its order on a bail petition filed by BJP State general secretary K. Surendran in a case registered against him by the police on charge of attacking a woman devotee at Sabarimala.
When the petition came up for hearing, government pleader Suman Chakravarthy submitted that the BJP leader was involved in eight other cases registered in the State. In fact, he was spearheading the ongoing agitation against the Supreme Court verdict allowing entry of young women in Sabarimala. He was also instigating protests in Sabarimala.
The court during the hearing orally observed that the police could not keep the petitioner in custody for long. While granting bail in another case, the lower court had directed Surendran not to enter Ranni taluk for two months. How could he then instigate his followers to stage protests? the court asked.
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When the prosecution submitted that Surendran was involved in a large number of the cases, the court orally pointed out that cases were pending against some of the ministers as well.
When the counsel for the petitioner argued that the police had detained the BJP leader illegally, thereby violating his Constitutional rights, the court then orally observed that ‘‘you are highlighting constitutional violation, but at the same time you are attempting to deny the constitutional rights of others.’’
The prosecutor also argued that Mr. Surendran had been charged with the offences under Sections 308 (Attempt to commit culpable homicide) and 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of Indian Penal Code (IPC). He also pointed out that the protesters chose to verify the age of the women devotees. The protesters, including the petitioner, had taken law into their hands. If the accused was released, it would adversely affect the conduct of Mandala-Makaravilakku festival.
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