THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Rahul Easwar, social activist and member of ‘Save Sabarimala forum’, is on an indefinite hunger strike at the Kottarakara Sub-Jail where he has been lodged following his detention. He is presently under judicial custody in connection with the protests at Pampa on Tuesday last. He resorted to the hunger strike reportedly against the police move to take him in a tractor after covering him with tarpaulin sheet. Though his fast had completed more than 36 hours, Rahul is yet to raise any demands.
On Friday, a footage of Rahul’s wife Deepa pleading for his release went viral. She said in the video no one knows why her husband was arrested. According to Deepa, Rahul was at the Sannidhanam when violence erupted at Nilakkal and Pampa. She had said the police booked him under non-bailable charges of obstructing government officers from discharging their official duty.
Further, Deepa said the police registered a case against Rahul for blocking Madhavi, the woman from Andhra Pradesh who had visited Sabarimala. However, Madhavi was blocked at Marakkoottam while Rahul was at Sannidhanam at the time, according to Deepa. Rahul’s mother, grandmother and other family members and office-bearers of the Yogakshema sabha visited him in jail. On Wednesday former Travancore Devaswom Board president Prayar Gopalakrishnan had called on Rahul.