Kerala activist Rehana Fathima received conditional bail from a special court on Wednesday. A Supreme Court bench had earlier dismissed her anticipatory bail in a case related to the controversial video with her children.
In the conditional bail granted by a special court, Rehana’s passport was surrendered and two persons gave surety for the bail. The court also took the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic into consideration while granting bail, reported Times of India.
The activist will have to present herself before the investigating officer in the POCSO case every Monday. The statements of Rehana’s children were collected and the court directed the activist to not repeat the alleged offence. The activist had surrendered before the police after the Supreme Court rejected her anticipatory bail petition.
Rehana was first booked after she uploaded a video of her children painting on her semi-naked body on June 19. The complaint was filed by BJP leader AV Arun Prakash.
Police first booked her under sections of the IT Act, Juvenile Justice Act and the Kerala Police Act. However, sections of POCSO Act (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) was also added.
The activist in her argument to the Supreme Court said that her intent was to normalise the female body and “to spread a message to not allow ‘distorted ideas of sexualisation' in the minds of children.” She had also added that she allowed her children to paint on her body ‘like a canvas’ and only a ‘pervert’ can sexualise such an act.
Rehana Fathima is a former employee of BSNL. The government organisation had compelled her to retire. She had been arrested and jailed for 18 days for a Facebook post that allegedly hurt the sentiments of Ayyappa devotees. Rehana had also attempted to climb the Sabarimala shrine in October 2018 after the Supreme Court allowed the entry of women, but was arrested.