HC grants bail to activist Rahul Easwar

Kochi: The Kerala High Court granted bail to Ayyappa Dharma Sena leader Rahul Easwar, who was re-arrested earlier this week on Friday for defying the bail conditions imposed in a case related to violent protests at Sabarimala in October. 

He was arrested on Monday after a local court revoked his bail. Granting the fresh conditional bail, Justice Sunil Thomas directed the activist not to enter Pamba, an important pilgrim spot enroute to the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala.

The judge also directed him to sign at Pathanamthitta police station once every month. Easwar was arrested from a rest house in Palakad on Monday, two days after the court at Ranni in Pathanamthitta district ordered his arrest for failure to appear before the local police as stipulated in the bail condition. 

The Ayyappa Dharma Sena leader spearheaded protests against the implementation of the Supreme Court verdict permitting women of all age groups into the Lord Ayyappa temple.

He was earlier arrested in the case relating to violence at the Lord Ayyappa shrine when it was opened for the monthly prayers on October 17, for the first time after the apex court lifted the ban on menstrual age women visiting the shrine. 

The local court, while granting bail, had stipulated several conditions, including that he has to appear in the Pathanamthitta police station every Saturday.