The Kerala High Court Wednesday granted anticipatory bail to rapper Vedan in connection with a woman doctor’s allegations that the artiste had repeatedly subjected her to sexual exploitation on the promise of marriage.
The allegations against Vedan alias Hiran Das Murali pertain to the period between 2021 and 2023. In her complaint, the woman claimed the trauma had left her depressed, leading to delay in filing the complaint. Last week, the court had allowed the complainant to implead in the anticipatory bail plea of Vedan, who has been facing a lookout notice issued by the police.
In the meantime, Vedan also faced another rape case.
A Dalit voice in the Kerala rap scene, Vedan hit the news in April this year after police arrested him in drug cases. His second arrest by the forest department on charges of possessing the suspected leopard tooth triggered outrage on social media as people blamed the forest officials for their “over enthusiasm”.
However, things turned in his favour after he apologised to his younger fans for being “a bad influence” with respect to drug usage, with the state government eventually promoting him and even inviting him to perform at events marking its 10th anniversary in power.
Following the leopard tooth case, there was a wave of sympathy for the rapper, who began attracting huge crowds for his concerts. Meanwhile, the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) also backed him, saying that the criticisms against him are attempts to suppress dissent by those who oppose the BJP’s ideology.
The recent rape allegations have led to the cancellation of his scheduled concerts.
