Rapper Vedan booked for rape based on doctor's complaint

Kochi: The Thrikkakara police have registered a case against rapper Hirandas Murali, better known by his stage name Vedan, for allegedly raping a doctor under the pretext of marriage. The FIR was registered based on the survivor’s statement, confirmed Assistant Commissioner of Police Shiju PS.

According to the complaint, the doctor, who was a fan of Vedan, came into contact with him through social media. The first alleged assault took place when they met at an apartment in Kozhikode to discuss a social media post. Vedan is accused of repeatedly abusing the woman between 2021 and 2023, while assuring her that he intended to marry her.

The survivor’s statement says she was sexually assaulted after being lured into a romantic relationship and later abandoned. She also alleged that Vedan left her emotionally traumatised and borrowed money from her on multiple occasions during the relationship.

The case has been registered under IPC Section 376(2). It was filed in Kochi as the alleged rape took place within the Thrikkakara police station limits.

This is not the first time Vedan has faced legal trouble. In April, he and eight others were arrested following a narcotics raid at his rented apartment in Kaniyampuzha near Vyttila. The Hill Palace police booked the group under provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act after seizing six grams of ganja from the premises. The Forest Department also registered a separate case against the artist under Section 51 of the Wildlife Protection Act for alleged possession of a leopard tooth. A native of Thrissur, Vedan is known for his music rooted in subaltern themes.