Thiruvananthapuram: Right-wing thinker and Advocate T.G. Mohandas was granted bail by the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court here on August 10, a day after he was taken into custody from his Kochi residence in connection with remarks criticising the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) agitation at Jantar Mantar in July.
Mohandas was taken into custody on August 9, following an hour-long search at his residence. His mobile phone was also seized during the police action. He was subsequently taken to Thiruvananthapuram by midnight and was expected to be produced before the court on Monday.
The prosecution argued that custodial interrogation was necessary to collect evidence and claimed that Mohandas was not cooperating with the investigation. However, his lawyer told the court that these claims were not true.
Mohandas told the court that the police had already visited his house and seized his electronic devices, including his mobile phone. The defence questioned how he could be accused of non-cooperation when the police had already taken possession of the devices.
The defence also questioned how the prosecution could seek his custody without even filing a formal custody application. After hearing arguments from both sides, the court granted Mohandas conditional bail.
On Sunday evening, cyber police took T.G. Mohandas into custody and subsequently recorded his arrest. The cyber police registered a case alleging that his remarks could disturb public peace and create fear. Following his arrest, the police seized his electronic devices.
The arrest triggered protests and strong reactions across Kerala, with BJP leaders and supporters alleging that the action was politically motivated. BJP state secretary Adv. S. Suresh said the party would stand with Mohandas and alleged that the arrest was aimed at appeasing extremist elements.
BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar alleged that Mohandas’s arrest was intended to divert public attention from the government’s handling of floods and the situation involving fishermen missing in rough seas.
K.P. Sasikala, patron of the Sangh-inspired Hindu Aikyavedi, also criticised the arrest, while Hindu Aikyavedi state president R.V. Babu came down heavily on the government over the action. Critics also pointed to what they described as instances of alleged selective action, citing statements made by former CPM minister Saji Cheriyan regarding the Constitution and remarks by former Assembly Speaker A.N. Shamseer about Lord Ganapati. They also referred to the controversy surrounding Malayalam writer S. Hareesh’s novel ‘Meesha’ and its publication in Mathrubhumi weekly.
BJP leaders also questioned why legal action had allegedly not been taken in certain other cases involving controversial remarks, while Mohandas was arrested over his comments on the Jantar Mantar agitation.
Mohandas is an engineer by profession as well as an advocate and is a prominent television debater in Malayalam media. He has also served as general manager of the Malayalam daily Janmabhumi and is known as an RTI activist who has approached courts on matters of public interest.
With the court granting him bail on Monday, the immediate legal proceedings against Mohandas have moved forward, while political controversy surrounding his arrest continues in Kerala.
