Vellapally gets bail in hate speech case

Kochi: SNDP Yogam General Secretary Vellappally Natesan Monday secured bail from a magistrate court in connection with a case registered against him for making an alleged communal hate speech at Aluva near here in November.

Natesan, who surrendered before the investigating officer at Aluva this morning on the direction of the Kerala High Court, was taken to the First Class Judicial Magistrate Court-1 there, after his statement was recorded.

The court released him on bail after he executed a bond for Rs 25,000 with two solvent sureties each.

The High Court had granted anticipatory bail to the SNDP leader last month.

A case under section 153(A) of IPC (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth and language) punishable with imprisonment for three years had been filed against Natesan after he made the "offending" speech.

The court had heard the speech made by Natesan which was recorded in a compact disc.

Director General of Prosecutions T Asaf Ali had opposed the grant of anticipatory bail and submitted that Natesan's speech tended to encourage hatred among different communities.

While leading the 'Samathwa Munnetta Yatra', organised to unite Hindu caste outfits, Natesan had alleged that the Congress-led UDF government was giving financial assistance to families of mishap victims on the basis of caste and religion.

He was referring to the compensation awarded by government to the family of Noushad, who died after inhaling poisonous gas inside a manhole while trying to save two labourers from a pit in Kozhikode.