Thiruvananthapuram: Activist Rahul Easwar will remain behind bars after a court on Tuesday declined to consider his bail plea, sending him back to jail as his custody period ended. Easwar, accused of insulting and defaming a survivor on social media after she filed a complaint against MLA Rahul Mankootathil, has now entered his 12th day in prison.
Police argued for extended custody, claiming Easwar was not cooperating with the investigation. They said the mobile phone used to record the controversial video remains missing, and his laptop cannot be examined because he allegedly refused to provide the password. Although police sought two additional days of custody, the court granted only one, which expired this morning.
After Rahul was produced in court, judges postponed the bail hearing to December 15 and ordered that he be remanded again.
This marks the third time the Thiruvananthapuram Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court has refused to grant bail. Easwar was arrested on November 30 for repeatedly making defamatory and derogatory remarks against the survivor via social media.
