Kerala HC directs no arrest for rapper Vedan pending bail hearing
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Kochi: For the second consecutive day, the Kerala High Court on Wednesday granted interim relief to Malayalam rapper Hirandas Murali, popularly known as Vedan, directing that he should not be arrested until his anticipatory bail plea in a rape case is fully heard and disposed of.
After hearing arguments from the complainant on Wednesday, the court posted the case for further hearing on August 25. Vedan’s counsel requested that he not be arrested until the plea is finally decided, a direction which the court granted.
Vedan, accused of sexually assaulting a woman doctor, has reportedly been absconding since the allegations surfaced. The Kerala Police had earlier issued a lookout notice fearing he might attempt to leave the country.
According to the FIR lodged in Kochi last month, the complainant alleged that Vedan sexually exploited her between 2021 and 2023. Their relationship began while she was a medical student, and she claims that on at least five occasions in Kozhikode, Kochi, and other locations, he sexually assaulted her under the pretext of marriage. The complaint also states that the two briefly lived together.
The complainant further alleged financial exploitation, claiming that in 2021, when Vedan was preparing to release his debut album, she gave him Rs 15,000 on two occasions and another Rs 8,300 to fund his train travel. Their acquaintance reportedly began over social media, but in 2023, Vedan allegedly ended the relationship, prompting her to file the complaint.
Two other women have since accused the rapper of misconduct. When the complainant’s counsel informed the court of additional cases, the bench clarified that each case is independent and cannot be clubbed together.
Vedan, 25, rose to fame under the banner Voice of the Voiceless. He debuted in 2020 and gained recognition as a lyricist in hit films including Nayattu, Karam, and Manjummel Boys. His socially conscious rap style earned him a large following across Kerala.
This is not his first brush with controversy. In April, Vedan was arrested along with eight others following a narcotics raid at his rented apartment near Kochi, though he was later released on bail. Around the same time, forest officials briefly detained him after discovering a tiger’s tooth on his necklace.
Despite his rising popularity, the current allegations have cast a shadow over the young rapper’s career, with the court’s next decision on his bail plea eagerly awaited.
With IANS inputs