01/11/2022
The Kerala high court on 24 August 2022 , stayed the Kozhikode district and sessions court’scontroversial 12 August 2022 order granting bail to activist ‘Civic’ Chandran in a case of sexual harassment (State of Kerala v Civic Chandran).
The High Court upheld the anticipatory bail granted to writer Civic Chandran in the sexualassault case. However, the High Court removed the Kozhikode Sessions court's 'sexually provocative dress' remark from the bail order.
Justice Kauser Edappagath issued the verdict after hearing pleas filed by the state governmentand the complainant woman against the anticipatory bail granted to Civic Chandran.
The High Court observed that the reason given by the lower court for granting anticipatory bailcannot be justifiable. At the same time, the High Court refused to cancel the anticipatory bailgranted to the writer.
Earlier, the verdict of Kozhikode Sessions Court on granting anticipatory bail plea to Civic Chandran became controversial after the bail order said: "The offence under Section 354A ofthe IPC will not prima facie stand when the woman was wearing a sexually provocative dress."
The High Court observed that the victim's attire could not be construed as a legal ground toacquit the accused from the charges of insulting the modesty of a woman.
