A Kochi Sessions Court on Saturday dismissed the anticipatory bail plea filed by senior politician P. C. George in connection with a hate speech case.
The police had registered against Mr. George on May 10 for his objectionable remarks during a speech, which he delivered in connection with a temple festival at Vennala in Ernakulam district.
Additional District and Sessions Judge, G. Girish, rejected the plea of the senior politician.
Controversial statements
The case was registered under IPC 153 (promoting enmity between different groups) and 295 A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs).
Earlier, Mr. George, who was the chief whip while Congress-led UDF was in power, had sparked off a controversy by asking non-Muslims in Kerala to avoid restaurants run by the community.
Addressing a programme organised as part of the Ananthapuri Hindu Maha Sammelan here late last month, the former Kerala Congress leader had alleged that tea laced with "drops causing impotence" were sold in Muslim-run restaurants to turn people "infertile" in a bid to "seize control" of the country.
As the remarks triggered a widespread political controversy, a case was registered and he was arrested on May 1.
Mr. George, who represented the Poonjar constituency in the state Assembly for 33 years, had lost his bastion to the Left Democratic Front candidate in the 2021 Assembly polls in a triangular fight.
Hours after the court dismissed his anticipatory bail plea, a police team from Kochi raided his residence at Poonjar here.
A team from Panangadu in Kochi, escorted by a team led by Erattupetta station house officer Prasad Abraham Varghese, reached the residence by evening. As Mr. George and his family were not present at the location, the sleuths contacted his relatives in a bid to trace his location. The raid continued till late in the evening.
The move came even as Mr. George is expected to approach the High Court with an anticipatory bail plea on Monday.
(with input from Kottayam bureau)
