KOCHI: The High Court on Friday asked the counsel appearing for dubbing artist Bhagyalakshmi and two other accused in the attack against a controversial YouTuber that why these activists are afraid to face the consequences of their action.“If you are bold enough to go into his room and bash him up, why are you afraid of facing the consequences of going to jail?. It’s for a purpose that you had done it.
Why are you now shy of appearing before police or going to jail?” the court asked. While considering the anticipatory bail plea of Bhagyalakshmi, Diya Sana and Sreelakhsmi Arackal, the court restrained the police from arresting them till October 30 when it passes its order. The court orally observed that encouraging vigilantism is also bad. They should have abided by the law and taking law into their hands sends out a wrong message.
The counsel for the petitioners told the court that the accused women went to the lodge room of YouTuber Vijay P Nair on his invitation for negotiations regarding the objectionable video posted by him. Later, he tried to physically harm them. Senior Public Prosecutor Suman Chakravarthy said the women had taken Vijay Nair’s laptop and mobile phone, but these were produced before the police later.
The court asked whether there was any intention to steal the gadgets, to which the prosecutor said that they had taken them away because of their anxiety. The court then observed, “Probably, they did not have faith in the police.”