Sabarimala protests: Kerala BJP worker arrested for attacking woman devotee in November 2018, granted bail

Pamba: A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Kerala unit functionary was arrested Monday and later released on bail in a case related to attacking a woman devotee who came to visit Sabarimala temple during a festival on 6 November last year. [caption id=“attachment_6288851” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of BJP supporters protesting against SC verdict on Sabarimala. Reuters[/caption] Lalitha, a 52-year-old woman, who had come for the ‘choorunu’ (rice feeding ceremony) of her grandson at the Lord Ayyappa temple when it was opened for the ‘chitira aatta vishesham’, had been stopped by a group of protesters. A large number of devotees and right-wing activists had surrounded her at the Sannidhanam, the temple complex, and tried to manhandle her, suspecting her to be in the menstrual age. The BJP functionary, VV Rajesh is the 15th accused in the case. “The court had asked Rajesh to appear before the investigating officer. When he did, we recorded his arrest and (he) was later granted bail on a personal bond of Rs 50,000 and two sureties of the same amount,” police said. Besides Rajesh, four other BJP-RSS leaders, including K Surendran and Valsan Thillankeri, were charged for conspiracy under Section 120 (B) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The supreme court had on 28 September last year paved the way for entry of women of all ages into the Sabarimala temple, saying the ban amounted to gender discrimination.