Malayalam rapper, lyricist and performing artist Hiran Das Murali, popularly known as Vedan, has approached the Kerala High Court seeking anticipatory bail in connection with a rape case based on a young doctor's complaint alleging sexual exploitation under the false pretext of marriage [Hiran Das Murali v State of Kerala & anr].
The case against Vedan was registered by the Thrikkakara Police based on a young doctor's complaint.
According to the first information report (FIR), the complainant and the petitioner were in a consensual relationship until 2021 that began when she reached out to him as a fan.
Over time, their association reportedly turned intimate, first in Calicut and later in Ernakulam.
The complainant stated that Vedan made repeated promises to marry her, which led to multiple instances of physical intimacy and even financial transactions.
In the anticipatory bail application, Vedan has contended that the relationship was voluntary and consensual and that the complaint was filed only after a personal fallout between the two.
According to the petition, even if the allegations are accepted at face value, it does not satisfy the legal ingredients of the offence of rape under Sections 376 (punishment of rape) and 376(2)(n) (commits repeated rape on same woman) of the Indian Penal Code.
Citing several precedents, the petitioner in his petition submitted that a broken promise of marriage, especially in a long standing consensual relationship, does not automatically amount to rape unless the promise was false from the beginning.
"The promise to marriage and when there is a sore in the relationship the attitude of filing complaint alleging that the accused sexually abused the complainant will not come under the category of rape. Both the petitioner and the defacto complainant are major and educated and aware of the consequences," the petition added.
The petition further alleged that a group of individuals are conspiring to malign the petitioner's reputation and extort money by filing coordinated complaints.
Several threatening voice messages and calls have reportedly been received by Vedan and his associates, which the petitioner claims are part of this orchestrated campaign.
Vedan is a public figure and an artist with no prior criminal record and custodial interrogation is unnecessary as he is willing to fully cooperate with the investigation, it was submitted.
The petition also mentioned that despite the petitioner's efforts, a copy of the FIR and related documents have still not been received from the police; hence the same have not been submitted along with the petition.
Earlier this year, Vedan was arrested twice in two separate cases, one in April, where he was held with others for alleged cannabis possession in Kochi and another for wearing a leopard tooth pendant which he said, was a fan’s gift.
He secured bail in both cases.