KOCHI: A Sessions Court in Kerala on Saturday dismissed the anticipatory bail plea filed by senior politician P C George in connection with a hate speech case saying his comments prima facie appear to be of such a nature as to promote disharmony, hatred and ill between communities. Soon after the court pronounced the judgement on George’s bail plea, police reached the former MLA’s residence to take him into custody, but he was not traceable.
George moved his plea soon after the Kochi city police had registered a case against him on May 10 for his objectionable remarks during a speech, which he delivered at a temple festival in Ernakulam. The court said it was not possible to take a lenient view on his anticipatory bail and dismissed the petition.
“The comments made by the petitioner (George)... prima facie appear to be of such a nature as to promote disharmony, hatred and ill will between the persons belonging to Muslim community and the followers of two other predominant religions of our state,” the court said.
The order said George, who was recently arrested in a similar case, was released on bail subject to the condition that he shall not make and propagate controversial statements that might hurt the religious sentiments. In his order, Additional Sessions Judge G Girish noted that the speech was made by George within 10 days of his release on bail in a similar case registered at Thiruvananthapuram.
The above nature of the petitioner who gives scant regard to the directions of the court would foreclose the scope of invoking the exceptional powers conferred under Section 438 CrPC for granting pre-arrest bail,” the court said. The court said it went through the transcript of the speech made by George and “it is seen that there are highly provocative remarks” capable of promoting disharmony, hatred and ill will between different religious groups.