Human rights activists led by prominent women organisation leaders staged a protest in the city on Friday condemning the observation of the Kozhikode District and Sessions Judge that a survivor herself was “exposing to dresses which have some sexual provocative one [sic]” while granting anticipatory bail to writer and activist Civic Chandran in a case related to outraging her modesty.
The protesters, led by activists K. Ajitha, V.P. Suhara, and Bindu Ammini, alleged that the observation spoiled the whole virtue of the judicial system and rule of law. In a joint statement, they also said that people who trusted the judiciary for the protection of their rights would never accept such a remark.
During the protest, the activists also called for the removal of the controversial observation from all court documents that helped Mr. Chandran secure bail. Flaying the “unjustifiable arguments and stance” adopted by the suspect against the survivor in the court, the activists said he had totally deviated from his previously declared stature as a guardian of the rights of various backward communities.