Right-wing commentator TG Mohandas, who made inflammatory remarks regarding youth who took part in NEET protests, has been granted bail on Monday by a court in Thiruvananthapuram.
Thiruvananthapuram Additional Chief Judicial First Class Magistrate Court judge Mithun Gopi G S granted bail to Mohandas when he was produced for remand proceedings.
The court granted bail with conditions, mandating that Mohandas should appear for questioning for the next three days as well as that he should not get involved in any similar crimes.
Mohandas was booked by the police over remarks he allegedly made in a YouTube video about the student protest in New Delhi over the NEET paper leak, officials said. In the concerned video, Mohandas made statements insulting the modesty of women protesters and encouraged the use of violence to crackdown on protesters.
Mohandas' arrest was recorded on Monday morning after he was taken into custody on Sunday evening from his residence in Mattancherry, Kochi.
He was charged with various offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Information Technology Act and Kerala Police Act.
When Mohandas was produced before the court, his counsel filed a bail petition.
The Thiruvananthapuram Cyber Police probing the case informed the court that it has invoked additional charges for any word, sound, gesture or object intended to insult a woman's modesty and for criminal intimidation with severe threats.
The prosecution sought custody of the accused for further investigation and raised apprehension that he was an influential person who would influence witnesses and tamper with evidence if released on bail.
However, the defence cited his age and health condition and submitted that all the offences charged against Mohandas were bailable.
The case was registered following a complaint alleging that videos uploaded on Mohandas' YouTube channel, 'Pathrika', were intended to disturb public peace and create fear and unrest among the public.
Police alleged that the videos were uploaded and circulated on July 24 and 25 with the intention of disturbing public tranquillity.
(With inputs from PTI)