Kochi,06 Jan (H.S.):The Kerala High Court is set to consider on Tuesday an anticipatory bail plea filed by activist Rahul Easwar in connection with allegations that he once again harassed and insulted a complainant through social media, in violation of bail conditions imposed earlier.

The court is also expected to seek the stand of the State government on the matter. Rahul Easwar moved the anticipatory bail application on Monday, citing the possibility of arrest for allegedly breaching bail conditions. The case was registered by the Thiruvananthapuram City Cyber Police following a complaint filed by the survivor.

According to the prosecution, the controversy arose after a video uploaded by Rahul Easwar on his YouTube channel on January 4. The complainant alleged that the content of the video amounted to renewed harassment and public humiliation, despite clear bail restrictions prohibiting such conduct. She subsequently approached the City Cyber Police, demanding action and seeking cancellation of his bail.

In his plea, Rahul Easwar has denied the allegations, maintaining that the statements made in the video were factual and did not amount to abuse, defamation, or harassment. He further argued that he had not violated any of the bail conditions imposed by the court and that the complaint was an attempt to stifle his right to present facts related to the case.

The present case is linked to an earlier controversy involving a complaint filed by a young woman against MLA Rahul Mankootathil. Rahul Easwar had previously been arrested for allegedly making defamatory and derogatory remarks against the survivor through a series of social media videos. He was taken into custody on November 30 and remained in judicial remand for 16 days before securing bail.

At the time, the Thiruvananthapuram Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court had initially rejected his bail plea, accepting the prosecution’s argument that he was not cooperating with the investigation. Following the rejection, Rahul Easwar had launched a hunger strike inside the prison.

However, after being released on bail, he allegedly uploaded fresh content targeting the survivor, prompting her to lodge a fresh complaint. The survivor has argued that this conduct clearly violates bail conditions and has urged authorities to initiate steps to cancel his bail.

The High Court’s decision on the anticipatory bail plea is expected to have significant implications, particularly on how courts view social media conduct by accused persons released on bail.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman