Kerala High Court revokes bail for five RSS workers in SDPI leader's murder case

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday set aside the bail granted to five RSS workers allegedly involved in the killing of SDPI leader K S Shan in Alappuzha district in December 2021.

Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas issued the order in response to a plea filed by the state government challenging the decision of the Additional Sessions Court-III, Alappuzha.

The court revoked the bail orders for accused 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. However, the bail granted to accused 1 and 7 to 10 in the same case remains unaffected.

While setting aside the bail granted to the five accused, the High Court observed that the sessions court order granting bail to accused Nos 2 to 6 was made without any proper basis and in a mechanical manner.

The High Court, however, clarified that if any fresh applications for regular bail are filed by the accused 2 to 6, the jurisdictional court would be entitled to consider them independently on their own merits, untrammelled by any observations made in this order.

According to the prosecution, the accused, members of the RSS, conspired to murder Shan due to enmity linked to an earlier attack on two individuals and the killing of an RSS leader.

As part of the alleged conspiracy, accused 2 to 6 formed an unlawful assembly. On 18 December 2021, at around 5.50 pm, they followed Shan in a vehicle and collided with his scooter. After he fell, they brutally attacked him, causing severe injuries. Shan succumbed to his injuries later that night at around 11:30 pm.

The accused face charges under Sections 120(b), 109, 115, 143, 147, 148, 149, 324, and 302 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, as well as Section 27(1) of the Arms Act, 1959.