The Kerala High Court on Friday granted bail to actor Sreejith Ravi in a case registered against him for behaving indecently towards two minor girls at Thrissur.
Charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act have been slapped on the actor for allegedly exposing himself to the two girls near a park at Ayyanthole in Thrissur.
Therapy till 2019
Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas, while passing the bail order, observed that the records produced, as well as the medical certificate issued by a consultant neuropsychiatrist, revealed that the petitioner was suffering from a behavioural personality disorder of which exhibitionism was a symptom/sign. Though the petitioner had undergone psychotherapy till 2019, he had been out of review since 2020. The medical certificate revealed that the petitioner needed medical attention. He had been provided the required treatment by his parents and wife. However, with the onset of COVID-19, there had been a lapse as could be understood from the medical certificate, the court said.
When the petition came up for hearing, counsel for the petitioner also submitted that the actor has been under treatment of a specialist for a personality disorder. The petitioner ought to be released on bail taking into reckoning these peculiar circumstances.
Stipulation to family
The court, while granting bail, imposed a condition that his wife and father file an affidavit through the investigation officer before the jurisdictional court affirming their willingness to provide adequate and effective regular medical treatment so as to prevent the recurrence of similar acts.
The court also ordered that he be released on bail on his executing a bond for ₹50,000 with two solvent sureties for the same before the Special Court for POCSO cases. When the bail petition came up for hearing, the Additional Director General of Prosecution submitted that the State had no objection in granting him bail subject to appropriate measures for preventing the recurrence of such offensive acts.
