Kozhikode: Kozhikode District Sessions Court on Tuesday granted bail to social activist Civic Chandran in the sexual harassment case. Earlier in the day, he surrendered before the Deputy Superintendent of Police at Vadakara.
The Court had earlier granted pre-arrest bail to the Leftist ideologue. Subsequently, the complainant and the state government challenged the Sessions Court order.
On October 20, the HC revoked the anticipatory bail and asked the writer to surrender within seven days.
The HC had earlier expunged the remarks by the Kozhikode Sessions Court that the attire of the survivor at the time of the alleged assault was ‘sexually provocative.’
According to the complaint filed against Chandran, he had behaved indecently and grabbed the survivor while she was relaxing on the beach after a literary camp on February 8, 2020.
Subsequently, the Koyilandy police filed a case against Chandran on July 29, 2022. However, the Sessions Court granted him anticipatory bail.
In its judgment, the Sessions Court had made controversial observations on the dress of the survivor after examining some photos from social media produced by Chandran’s lawyers.
The prosecution case is that in February 2022, the complainant, a Dalit writer, had organised a function in connection with the publication of her book. After the function, the accused allegedly kissed the back of her neck without her consent. The accused outraged the modesty of the victim with the knowledge that she belonged to a Scheduled Caste, according to the police.
