Political commentator Rahul Easwar, known for having the most absurd takes on issues concerning the nation, was on Monday remanded to 14 days’ judicial custody after the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Court in Thiruvananthapuram dismissed his bail plea in a case relating to alleged online attacks on a woman who has accused suspended Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil of rape and forced abortion.
The court observed that the allegations against Easwar were “serious in nature” and noted that the investigation was at a “nascent stage”. Granting bail at this point, the order said, would send a wrong message to the public, given the sensitivity of the accusations and the potential for tampering with evidence. Easwar was subsequently shifted to the Poojappura district jail.
Easwar was arrested on Sunday after hours of interrogation, following a complaint that he and several others, including Congress leader Sandeep Warrier, had participated in a coordinated cyber campaign to discredit the survivor. He was initially booked under BNS sections 72 and 79 and IT Act provisions 43 and 46 for insulting the modesty of a woman and revealing the identity of a sexual assault survivor. His remand order reflects additional charges, including BNS sections 75(1)(iv), 351(1) and 351(2), and section 43 read with 66 of the Information Technology Act.
Easwar is listed as the fifth accused in the case. Alongside him, four others, including Congress leader Sandeep Warrier—have also been booked.
The cyber police registered cases against five individuals after the survivor reported that her personal information was being widely circulated online. Apart from Easwar and Sandeep Warrier, the three others booked are Mahila Congress leader Renjitha Pulickan, Deepa Joseph, and Deepa Mathew.
According to the FIR, the accused shared the survivor’s personal details, including her photographs, through Facebook, YouTube, and other platforms, reportedly triggering a wave of online harassment. Police say the same set of charges has been invoked against all the accused.
Easwar subsequently equated his arrest with ‘freedom struggle’ for men and claimed that it was a blatant disregard of the Supreme Court.
#WATCH | Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: Activist Rahul Easwar says, "This is freedom struggle for men and this is against the Arnesh Kumar verdict. Police is claiming that they have served me notice but they have not served me any notice. This is blatant disregard of Supreme Court… https://t.co/7ShdnVgzT5 pic.twitter.com/jljJr9W3nl
— ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2025
During the hearing, the prosecution strongly opposed bail, citing the recovery of YouTube videos allegedly containing sexually coloured remarks and arguing that Easwar’s release could obstruct the investigation. The cyber police insisted that further custodial interrogation was necessary to trace other devices and establish the digital trail of alleged offences. They also pointed to Easwar’s past criminal antecedents and the fact that other accused persons had yet to be taken into custody.
Easwar’s defence countered that the police had not properly issued a notice under Section 35(1) of the BNSS, required for arrest without a warrant, and argued that the only non-bailable charge, Section 75(1)(iv), carried a maximum sentence of one year and should therefore be treated as “deemed bailable”. Counsel also denied that any evidence existed to show Easwar had made sexually coloured remarks online. The prosecution responded that the remand report clearly detailed the grounds for bypassing the Section 35(1) notice requirement.
Rejecting the defence submissions, Magistrate Elsa Catherine George ruled that the case records indicated prima facie elements of the offence under Section 75(1)(iv). The court remarked that derogatory social media remarks targeting a survivor of sexual violence cannot be trivialised, especially when the wider investigation is still unfolding. Any premature release, the order stated, could hinder the probe or enable the destruction of digital evidence.
The Thiruvananthapuram Cyber Police had seized Easwar’s mobile phone and laptop shortly before his arrest, examining the devices as part of efforts to trace content shared online in support of Mamkootathil, whom Easwar has publicly defended since the allegations emerged.