Govt moves HC against bail to Civic Chandran in sexual harassment case

Kochi: The Kerala Government has moved the High Court challenging the anticipatory bail granted to author and social activist Civic Chandran in the second sexual harassment case registered against him.

The appeal filed by the state government contended that certain references made in the lower court order were illegal, and the same amounted to questioning the victim’s right to freedom granted by the constitution.

“The observations made by the sessions court are illogical. It granted the anticipatory bail without considering many facts in the case,” stated the government.

It also demanded that the controversial references made in the lower court order be removed. The state had filed a similar petition before the High Court the other day in the sexual harassment case filed by a Dalit writer against Chandran.

Meanwhile, the High Court sent a notice to Civic Chandran based on a petition filed by the Dalit victim questioning the anticipatory bail granted to him. She contended that the order by the lower court granting bail had illegal references. There was a delay in lodging the complaint against the activist as her father had died. Besides, she also suffered from mental pressure, she pointed out in her petition.

The reference made by the lower court while granting anticipatory bail to Civic Chandran had turned controversial. The Kozhikode Sessions Court Judge S Krishna Kumar observed that the poet who lodged the complaint was wearing a “sexually provocative dress at the time of the incident. This was clear from the photos submitted by Civic Chandran. Hence the offence under Section 354 A of the IPC is not prima facie attracted.”