After spending over two weeks in judicial custody, social activist Rahul Eshwar has been granted bail in a case related to allegedly insulting a rape survivor through social media posts. The Thiruvananthapuram Additional Sessions Court allowed his release after 16 days in custody, subject to strict conditions.
Granting bail, the court directed Rahul Eshwar not to influence witnesses, refrain from making any further derogatory remarks, and ensure he does not get involved in any other criminal cases. The court’s order comes after his earlier bail pleas were twice rejected by the Thiruvananthapuram Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court.
Rahul Eshwar was arrested on November 30 for making a series of allegedly defamatory and offensive statements online against the woman who had filed a rape complaint against Rahul Mankootathil.
During the hearing, his counsel argued that he had been in remand for 16 days and maintained that he had not knowingly committed any offence. The court, after considering the submissions, decided to grant bail with safeguards to prevent any interference in the investigation.
