BJP leader K Surendran, 71 others granted bail
Pathanamthitta (Kerala), Nov 21: A court here Wednesday granted conditional bail to 72 people, including BJP general secretary K Surendran, who were arrested in connection with the Sabarimala temple row.
Surendran along with two others had been arrested on November 18 from Nilackal as he tried to proceed to the Lord Ayyappa Temple despite being advised by police personnel against visiting Sabarimala due to law and order issues.
The 69 others were arrested after they held a "nama japam" (chanting Lord Ayyappa mantras) inside the shrine complex late on Sunday, defying prohibitory orders.
When their case up before the Munsif court here, all the 73 people were granted bail with strict conditions.
The accused have been asked not to enter Ranni taluk, where the Lord Ayyappa temple is located, for two months and they have been directed to submit two personal sureties of Rs 20,000 each.
The court also rejected the plea of the accused to permit them to visit the hill shrine during the two-month-long "mandala makaravilakku" pilgrim season.
Since a non-bailable warrant is pending against him before the Kannur magistrate court, Surendran will have to seek bail in that case to come of jail.
Restrictions have been imposed at the Lord Ayyappa temple following protests by devotees and activists of the BJP and the RSS over the state government's decision to implement the September 28 Supreme Court order.
The hill shrine was opened on November 16 evening for the over two-month-long pilgrimage season amid tension.
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Mysuru: Businessman from Kerala attacked by masked men; car stolen by group
Mysuru: A businessman from Kerala, who was traveling in his car in the taluk on Monday morning, was stopped by a group of robbers on the outskirts of Mysuru city and robbed of his car.
The robbers, who were in three four-wheelers, are learned to have forced the businessman’s vehicle to stop at a point in Jayapura hobli. They also allegedly assaulted the people travelling in the car before forcing them to get out of the vehicle. The miscreants are learned to have driven away from the place in the businessman’s car.
Mysuru Superintendent of Police N Vishnuvardhana has confirmed that the car driver, who was also assaulted by the group, was injured in one hand.
He said that an FIR will be filed based on the statement from the Calicut (Kozhikode) businessman, adding that investigation teams have been formed to probe the case.
The senior officer, however, has said that details on the monetary loss incurred by the businessman and regarding weapons used by the miscreants in the incident is yet to be confirmed.
