The Kerala High Court on Tuesday granted temporary relief to rapper Hirandas Murali, popularly known as Vedan, by directing the prosecution not to arrest him until his anticipatory bail plea is reconsidered.
Justice Bechu Thomas, while hearing Vedan’s pre-arrest bail application, instructed the Director General of Prosecution not to proceed with his arrest until the next hearing. The court also impleaded the complainant as the third respondent in the matter.
During Tuesday’s proceedings, the counsel appearing for the victim alleged that two more women had recently approached the Kerala Chief Minister with complaints against Vedan, describing him as a repeat offender. The court, however, questioned how these claims could be substantiated and whether any new criminal cases had been registered on the basis of these additional complaints.
Earlier, Vedan’s counsel maintained that the relationship between the accused and the complainant was consensual, disputing the allegations of sexual assault. The High Court is scheduled to continue hearing the matter on Wednesday.
Last month, the Thrikkakara police registered a rape case against Vedan based on a complaint by a woman doctor, who alleged that the rapper sexually harassed her on multiple occasions between 2021 and 2023 after promising marriage. Since the registration of the case, Vedan has been absconding, prompting police to issue a lookout notice.
The rapper is no stranger to legal troubles, having previously been arrested in narcotics and wildlife-related cases, though he was later granted bail in both.
The High Court’s direction provides temporary protection from arrest but leaves the substantive question of anticipatory bail pending further judicial scrutiny.
