BJP leader gets bail after 23 days in jail

KOCHI: Kerala High Court on Friday came to the rescue of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader K Surendran who spent 23 days in jail after being arrested for breaking law while leading violent protests in Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple in Pathanamthitta district and granted conditional bail to him.

State BJP general secretary K Surendran was granted bail on strict conditions including a bond of Rs200,000 and a ban on entering Pathanamthitta district, where the Sabarimala temple is located, till the submission of the inal report. The court also asked him to surrender his passport.

The government strongly opposed the bail application pointing out that Surendran would attempt to create trouble in Sabarimala.

The bail condition of Pathanamthitta Magistrate court against entering Ranni taluk is still in force. With the High Court’s bail conditions, Surendran will not be able to have darshan at Sabarimala temple.

The High Court granted bail in the case registered against Surendran for murder attempt on a 52-year-old Thrissur woman who was manhandled by protesters while trying to enter the sanctum sanctorum of Lord Ayyappa temple during Chithira Atta Tirunal. He was charged with cases for conspiracy and murder attempt in the case. The court has also directed him not to engage in similar criminal activities.

Surendran, along with two others, was arrested on Nov.18 from the Nilakkal base camp at Sabarimala as he attempted to proceed to the temple, despite being advised by the police against it due to law-and-order issues. Though he was granted bail, another case was also slapped on him after a 52-year-old woman was illegally blocked, assaulted and insulted by a frenzied group during the ‘Chithira Atta Tirunal’ in November.

The campaign against the recent Supreme Court verdict allowing women of all ages to enter Sabarimala temple led by the right-wing groups including BJP have almost izzled out following stringent action by police, court interventions and a series of lip-lops by party leadership during the struggle. The state government decided to implement the Supreme Court order saying that it would provide protection to any woman of menstrual age if they wanted to visit Sabarimala temple.