A day after he secured bail in a Sabarimala related case, BJP State General Secretary K Surendran has been named in yet another non-bailable case by the Kerala police. Surendran had been arrested from Nilakkal in Sabarimala on November 17 as preventive detention and for disobedience to a public officer. It has now been learnt that K Surendran has been named as an accused in a case registered on 6 November by Sannidhanam police.
An FIR was filed on November 6 against 150 unknown people for attacking a 52-year-old woman, Lalitha, who came to the Sabarimala temple. The crowd had suspected that she was below 50 years.
After investigation, names of Surendran and 16 others were added to the FIR on November 16 and the charges invoked include section 143 (unlawful assembly),147 (rioting), 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 354 (using criminal force to outrage the modesty of a woman), 188 (disobeying the orders of a public servant), 283 (danger or obstruction of public line of navigation), and sec 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.
On Wednesday, the Pathanamthitta Magistrate Court granted conditional bail to him in the November 17 case. The BJP has accused that the state government and police colluded to ensure that K Surendran remained in jail and therefore added his name to the November 6 FIR.
Advocate Haridas who represents K Surendran told TNM, “These are all fabricated cases. This incident took place on 6 November. Though he was at Sabarimala on that day, he was not anywhere near the location where the incident with the 52-year-old woman happened. They could have arrested him then if he was involved in that case. When he came to Nillakal attempting to make the trek to the temple as a devotee on November 17, the SI there could have immediately said “you are under arrest” and arrested him. He has been in jail for four to five days, but this case was never mentioned. Only when they realised that he was going to be let out on bail, did they start to think what other cases they can foist to keep him in jail and not let him come out. This is why they have decided to name him as one among the 100 named in the November 6 case.”
Haridas continues, “Four individuals were arrested on November 8 in that case. None of them mentioned K Surendran’s name, nor was Surendran’s name mentioned when they were brought before the Pathanamthitta District Magistrate.”
A Sannidhanam police official told TNM, “Surendran was arrested in connection with the November 6 case. After investigation revealed that he had been involved in the attack on Lalitha, he and 16 others were charged in that case."
Despite getting conditional bail on Wednesday, Surendran was not released from custody immediately, as he is yet to get bail in a previous case in Kannur involving obstruction of public pathways. And now, this new case will require a fresh bail application.