The BJP’s candidate from Kozhikode constituency for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, KP Prakash Babu was remanded to 14-day judicial custody on Thursday in connection with a case related to Sabarimala. The MP candidate is an accused in the case where a mob attacked 52-year-old Lalitha, saying she did not look 50. The incident took place on November 6, 2018.
Prakash surrendered on Thursday morning at the Pamba police station in Pathanamthitta and was subsequently produced before the Ranni Judicial First Class Magistrate court. Although he had applied for bail, it was dismissed by the court and he was remanded to 14 days judicial custody at the Kottarakkara sub-jail.
Prakash will be filing another bail application at the Pathanamthitta District Sessions Court on Friday.
Lalitha had come to the temple for the choroonu ceremony (held to mark a child's first consumption of rice) of her grandson. She was walking up to the hilltop shrine with other women from her family when she was stopped around 100m away from the ‘pathinettam padi’ (the 18 steps that lead to the sanctum sanctorum).
According to the Pamba police, Prakash Babu has been booked under IPC Sections 143 (Punishment for whoever is a member of an unlawful assembly), 144 (Joining unlawful assembly armed with deadly weapon), 147 (Punishment for rioting), 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 341 (Punishment for wrongful restraint), 308 (Attempt to commit culpable homicide), 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 120B (Punishment of criminal conspiracy) read with 149 (Every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object).
Prakash reportedly has eight cases against him, many of which are related to the Sabarimala issue. He is also an accused in a case, where a group of protestors marched towards the house of Devaswom President A Padmakumar.