Kerala court sends PC George in judicial custody in hate speech case

PTI

Thiruvananthapuram, May 26

Senior Kerala politician PC George, who was arrested by the police following cancellation of his bail granted in connection with a hate speech case, was sent to judicial remand by a court here on Thursday.

The magisterial court had on Wednesday cancelled the bail granted to George after the police alleged that the veteran politician, released on bail earlier on May 1 after being arrested for making a hate speech against Muslims in the state on April 29, violated the bail conditions.

Hours after the court cancelled his bail, George was arrested on Wednesday evening.

A team of police officials from Thiruvananthapuram had formally arrested and took him into custody from the Ernakulam AR camp.

George was produced before the court on Thursday morning, which sent him to 14-day judicial remand. He was shifted to a district jail here.

Police sought the custody of George to examine his voice, his lawyer said. 

George's son and leader of Kerala Janapaksham, Shone George, questioned the "haste" shown by the police in producing his arrested father before the court early in the morning and alleged the role of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the act.

He alleged that the police acted hastily to put George behind bars when his plea seeking bail was pending before the Kerala high court and it was due to the political pressure.

The police had arrested George on May 1 after registering a case against him at Fort Police station for allegedly making a communal speech against Muslims while addressing 'Ananthapuri Hindu Maha Sammelanam' here on April 29.

The 70-year-old former MLA had sparked off a controversy by asking non-Muslims in Kerala to avoid eating at restaurants run by the community.

Subsequently, on May 10, another case was registered against him on charges of hate speech.

Palarivattom police booked the former legislator over his objectionable remarks during a speech that he delivered in connection with a temple festival at Vennala in Ernakulam district on May 8.

#hate speech