District court grants bail to YouTuber Rahul Easwar in survivor intimidation case

A district court on Monday granted bail to right-wing YouTuber and self-styled “Men’s Rights” activist Rahul Easwar, who has been in judicial remand since November 30, after the police arrested him for defaming, intimidating, and slurring the integrity and disclosing the identity of the survivor in the rape case involving Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, allegedly to dissuade her from pressing charges.

On his release, Mr. Easwar alleged a conspiracy at Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s level to silence him by incarcerating him during the politically sensitive campaign phase of the local body elections in Kerala.

Mr. Easwar said the government deemed his silence was essential to focus the election narrative on the sexual predation charges swirling around Mr. Mamkootathil as a hedge against his spotlighting the Sabarimala gold theft in social and conventional media.

An element of theatre surrounded Mr. Easwar’s departure from prison. His supporters showered petals and garlanded him outside Poojappura Central Prison’s main entrance. A phalanx of television camera crews awaited his release.

Mr. Easwar said the police had falsely told the court that he had not responded to a summons to appear for questioning. He alleged that the prosecution lied in court that the State-side was yet to get the police report in the case to “ensure” that he languished in a prison cell till the local body polls were over.

His wife Deepa Easwar advised him to end his media interactions. “I am listening to my wife’s counsel. The arrest has traumatised my family. My mother visited me in prison and pleaded that I not pursue my cause for a Men’s Rights Commission,” he added.

Mr. Easwar had declared a hunger strike in prison. His resolve lasted four days after the police transferred him from the district sub-jail to the Central Prison, Poojappura, which has an infirmary staffed by doctors and paramedical personnel round-the-clock. Mr. Easwar said doctors counselled him to end the hunger strike. “My fast was not against the police. It was for constituting a Men’s Commission,” he said.

Mr. Easwar is the fifth accused in the case, which names Deepa Joseph, Mahila Congress district secretary for Pathanamthitta, and KPCC general secretary Sandeep Varrier, among 20 others, as co-accused.