A Kerala court on Monday granted bail to right-wing commentator T G Mohandas in a case pertaining to his controversial remarks on the students’ protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar last month.
Thiruvananthapuram Additional Chief Judicial First Class Magistrate Court judge Mithun Gopi G S granted bail to Mohandas when he was produced for remand proceedings, news agency PTI reported.
Mohandas was picked up and arrested from his residence at Koovappadam near Mattancherry by a team from the Thiruvananthapuram Cyber Police Station on Sunday evening.
What did Mohandas say on Jantar Mantar protests?
The police action came after a YouTube video of Mohandas allegedly saying the Delhi students' protest "could lead to incidents of gang rape" and that there would be no complaints because "those attending the protest like rape and there are girls who enjoy being raped" went viral. He also claimed that although some people would be killed or permanently injured, the situation would be brought under control within hours and the bodies shifted to hospitals.
{{/usCountry}}The police action came after a YouTube video of Mohandas allegedly saying the Delhi students' protest "could lead to incidents of gang rape" and that there would be no complaints because "those attending the protest like rape and there are girls who enjoy being raped" went viral. He also claimed that although some people would be killed or permanently injured, the situation would be brought under control within hours and the bodies shifted to hospitals.
{{/usCountry}}The case was registered on the basis of a complaint that the videos uploaded on Mohandas' YouTube channel, 'Pathrika', were intended to disturb public peace and create fear and unrest among the public. He was subsequently charged with various offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Information Technology Act and Kerala Police Act.
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What happened in court?
Appearing before the court, the Thiruvananthapuram Cyber Police said it has invoked additional charges for any word, sound, gesture or object intended to insult a woman's modesty and for criminal intimidation with severe threats. The prosecution sought custody of the accused for further investigation and raised apprehension that he was an influential person who would influence witnesses and tamper with evidence if released on bail.
The defence, however, cited his age and health condition and submitted that all the offences charged against Mohandas were bailable. After hearing both sides, the court granted Mohandas bail.
The court also directed Mohandas to appear before the investigating officer for three days as part of the probe. He was also directed to appear before police whenever his presence was required. The court further directed him not to repeat a similar offence while on bail.