kerala harassment case: Kerala govt moves High Court against lower court’s order in sexual harassment case

The Kerala government on Friday moved the High Court seeking to set aside a sessions court order granting bail to social activist and writer ‘Civic’ Chandran in a case of sexually abusing a Dalit woman, contending that the judgement of the lower court “suffers from illegality and manifest errors” warranting its intervention.

While granting bail to Chandran in the case, Kozhikode Sessions Court judge S Krishnakumar, in his order dated August 2, had observed that the accused is a reformist, and against the caste system and it is highly unbelievable that he will touch the body of the victim fully knowing that she belongs to the Scheduled Caste (SC).

Observing that the accused is fighting against the caste system and is involved in a number of agitations, the court had also said the offences under various sections of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act will not prima facie stand against him.

In its appeal, the state government contended that the order passed by the sessions court is absolutely unsustainable and against the spirit of the law enacted for prevention of atrocities, hence, the same is liable to be set aside.

The government said the sessions court seriously erred in stating in the order that there is no prima facie case made out against the accused.