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Vedan has allegedly been on the run for more than two weeks after the Kochi city police registered a rape case against him based on a complaint from a young doctor.
The Kerala High Court on Monday allowed a woman who accused rapper Hiran Das Murali, known by his stage name Vedan, of sexual assault to be impleaded as a party in his anticipatory bail plea.
Vedan has allegedly been on the run for more than two weeks after the Kochi city police registered a rape case against him based on a complaint from a young doctor.
When the High Court took up the anticipatory bail plea of the accused, the de facto complainant sought that the rapper be declared a habitual offender.
Her counsel pointed out that Vedan is facing two other rape complaints, apart from two drug cases (under the NDPS Act). In 2021, too, he faced a sexual misconduct allegation and made a public apology. He is also facing a case under the Wildlife Protection Act for allegedly wearing a pendant made of a suspected leopard tooth.
The court will hear the matter on Tuesday.
Last week, the Kochi city police issued a lookout notice against Vedan, 31, a native of Thrissur. A Dalit voice in the Kerala rap scene, Vedan hit the news in April this year after police arrested him in drug cases. His arrest on charges of possessing the suspected leopard tooth triggered outrage on social media as people blamed forest officials for their “overenthusiasm”.
However, things turned in favour of Vedan after he apologised to his younger fans for being a bad influence with respect to drug use, and the state government started promoting him. Following the leopard tooth case, Vedan faced a sympathy wave, attracting huge crowds for his shows. The ruling CPI(M) backed Vedan, saying that the criticisms against him were attempts to suppress dissent by those who oppose the BJP’s ideology. The Kerala government invited Vedan to perform at events marking its 10th anniversary in power. While facing the rape case, Vedan had a lineup of shows, which were later cancelled.
In June, the University of Calicut decided to include Vedan’s song in the degree-level syllabus of Malayalam language and literature. The university plan was for a comparative study between Vedan’s song, ‘Bhumi Njan Vazhunnidam’, and Michael Jackson’s ‘They Don’t Care About Us’. In protest against the decision, the BJP petitioned the Governor seeking the withdrawal of Vedan’s song.
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