Fresh case against BJP leader on Sabarimala protest

A day after being granted conditional bail in a case related to a protest at the Sabarimala temple, BJP general secretary K Surendran was Thursday booked in another case related to the agitation at the hill shrine, the police said.

The fresh charge was added in connection with the blocking of a 52-year-old woman, who had come for the 'choorunu' (rice feeding ceremony) of her grandson at the Ayyappa temple when it was opened for the special pooja 'chitira aatta vishesham' earlier this month.

A large number of devotees and right-wing activists had surrounded Lalitha at Sannidhanam, the temple complex, and tried to manhandle her, suspecting her to be in the menstrual age.

Surendran, who was allegedly not present at the venue of the protest, was charged under IPC Section 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy), police said.

Besides Surendran, four other BJP-RSS leaders, including V V Rajesh and Valsan Thillankeri, were booked under the same charge in connection with the incident.

Yuva Morcha state president Advocate Prakash Babu and RSS leader R Rajesh were also charged under Section 120 (B).

A court in Pathanamthitta Wednesday had granted conditional bail to Surendran, who was arrested on November 18 from Nilackal as he tried to proceed to the shrine despite being advised by police personnel against visiting Sabarimala due to prohibitory orders being clamped in the area.

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 out 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 annual two-month-long pilgrimage season amid tension.