Two more women have accused Vedan of sexual assault in 2020 and 2021, emailing complaints to the Chief Minister. They allege unwanted advances and reputational damage and have sought a direct meeting with the Chief Minister.
Ernakulam: The Kerala High Court has temporarily stayed the arrest of rapper Vedan (Hirandas Murali) who faces allegations in a rape case filed by the Thrikkakara police following a sexual harassment complaint by a doctor. The complainant opposed Vedan’s anticipatory bail request, stating that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had received multiple complaints against him. Hearing the case, Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas observed that Vedan shall not be arrested since his bail application is being considered by the Court. “Suppose a person commits rape on one lady that doesn’t mean that he would have, if he had a physical relationship with another lady, the latter would amount to a rape. You have to confine to your case,” LiveLaw reported as the court saying. Kochi City Police Commissioner CH Nagaraju stated that rapper Vedan was absconding and that police have not provided him any protection. “Measures have been taken to prevent him from leaving the country. The police are not proceeding with the arrest as his anticipatory bail application is pending before the court. The investigation into the rape case is progressing in the right direction,” he added.
Meanwhile, two additional women have reportedly come forward with sexual assault complaints against Vedan. These allegations, sent via email to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, relate to incidents in 2020 and 2021. The first complainant described how Vedan initially approached her professionally, expressing interest in her work and discussing Dalit political themes in his music, which initially attracted her to collaborate with him. However, she claims that his behavior later turned inappropriate, alleging that he began making unwanted sexual advances, using offensive language, and making threats when she resisted. After she ended their association, she stated that he damaged her reputation by spreading false stories about her in their shared social circles, which negatively impacted her academic pursuits and professional prospects.
The second complainant encountered Vedan while conducting research on Dalit musical traditions for an academic paper. She had been seeking to connect with musicians from her own community as part of her broader research that involved interviewing artists and writers from various regions across India. According to her account, she arranged to meet Vedan on December 20, 2020. During what was supposed to be a discussion about his musical work, she alleges that he made unwanted physical advances, including forcing a kiss upon her. Although she managed to leave the situation, the incident reportedly caused her to abandon her research project entirely to avoid any further contact with him. Both women expressed reluctance to file formal police complaints, citing concerns about how authorities had previously mishandled a similar case involving Vedan. They were particularly troubled by reports that the earlier complainant’s personal information had been inappropriately disclosed to news outlets. Instead, they have requested a direct meeting with the Chief Minister to present their allegations personally.