Thiruvananthapuram: A court in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday granted bail to right-wing political commentator T G Mohandas, who was arrested over alleged remarks made in a YouTube video about a student protest in New Delhi linked to the NEET paper leak.
Mohandas was taken into custody from his residence in Mattancherry, Kochi, on Sunday evening, and his arrest was formally recorded on Monday morning. He was booked under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Information Technology Act and Kerala Police Act.
The Thiruvananthapuram Additional Chief Judicial First Class Magistrate Court granted him bail after hearing arguments from both the prosecution and defence.
The cyber police told the court that additional charges had been invoked against Mohandas, including provisions related to remarks or gestures intended to insult a woman's modesty and criminal intimidation involving serious threats.
The prosecution sought his custody for further investigation, arguing that Mohandas was influential and could potentially influence witnesses or tamper with evidence if released. The defence, however, cited his age and health condition and argued that the offences registered against him were bailable.
As part of the bail conditions, the court directed Mohandas to appear before the investigating officer for three days and whenever required during the probe. He was also warned against repeating similar offences while on bail.
The case was registered based on a complaint alleging that videos uploaded on Mohandas' YouTube channel, 'Pathrika', were capable of disturbing public peace and creating fear and unrest.
In the video, Mohandas allegedly made controversial remarks about the Delhi students' protest, claiming that it could result in incidents of gang rape. He also allegedly said that some people could be killed or permanently injured during the unrest, but claimed that the situation would be brought under control within hours and that the bodies would be shifted to hospitals.
This report is based on inputs from PTI, with additional reporting and background by the EdexLive Desk.
