Rahul Easwar granted bail in cyber abuse case; 16-day jail term comes to an end

Thiruvananthapuram: Rahul Easwar has been granted bail in a cyber abuse case. The Thiruvananthapuram Sessions Court allowed his release after he spent 16 days in judicial custody.

Rahul Easwar was arrested for allegedly revealing the identity of the survivor in a rape case registered against Rahul Mamkootathil and for posting abusive content targeting her on social media platforms.

The cyber police had registered cases against six individuals for posting derogatory content against the survivor on digital platforms, with Rahul Easwar being the first to be arrested. He was taken into custody from his residence, following which his arrest was formally recorded.

Initially, Rahul Easwar was booked under bailable offences. However, the police later added non-bailable charges, leading to his remand to judicial custody.

Alleging that his detention was illegal and unjustified, Rahul Easwar observed a hunger strike in prison for nearly a week as a mark of protest. He later called off the fast after the Sessions Court repeatedly denied him bail.

Rahul Easwar was first lodged in the district jail and was later shifted to the central prison.

In the meantime, the police had taken him into custody for two days for further questioning. Although a fresh custody plea was submitted on Monday, the court rejected it, asking why further custody was required for a person who had already spent 16 days in jail.

Following this, the court granted Rahul Easwar bail with conditions, including a strict direction that he should not repeat such offences in the future.