Kerala Police checkmates PC George

Thiruvananthapuram: Seven time legislator P.C. George, who was released on bail after spending a day in jail for his hate speech, on Saturday told the media that he will reply to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's insinuations at an rally in bypoll-bound Thrikkakara on Sunday, but the police appeared to have checkmated him.

The Fort Police station here, which had arrested him on May 1 for his hate speech, served a notice to him to appear before the police probe team on Sunday at 11 a.m.

Incidentally even if he presents himself before the police with the election campaigning ending at 5 p.m on Sunday at Thrikkakara, he will not be able to make it on time as he will need at least six hours from here to Kochi by road.

Moreover there is no flight which lands at Kochi before 5 p.m and hence in all likelihood, George will have to be content to attack Vijayan here, or else he will have to skip presenting himself before the police.

Reacting to the checkmate of the police, George, in his characteristic style, said: "The dramatics of the Vijayan government is now out." Meanwhile, he is busy seeking expert legal advice on what needs to be done. He was given bail for his hate speech by a court in the state capital on May 1 , but a few days later, he repeated it and the government went ahead and filed a petition to cancel his bail. The court accepted the plea, his bail was cancelled, and he was arrested by the police on Thursday and sent to jail for a day, before he got bail from the High Court on Friday.

One of the conditions in the bail is he has to cooperate with the police probe team and hence if he fails to appear before the probe team here on Sunday, it could be more trouble for him.