Pendency Of Crime Can't Be Restraint On Vocation: Kerala High Court Allows Rapper Vedan To Travel Abroad Without Prior Court Permission

The Kerala High Court on Monday (November 3) modified the condition imposed on Rapper Vedan while granting him anticipatory bail in a case alleging rape on the false promise to marry, thereby permitting him to travel abroad and perform at international concerts. Vedan argued that he has been invited for various concerts in different countries on different dates as a professional singer, and the condition restricting him from leaving India will affect him prejudicially. Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas substituted the condition (f), which had stipulated that the applicant shall not leave India without the permission of the court having jurisdiction, with a new condition."Taking into consideration the above circumstances, I am of the view that the condition limiting his travel outside the country ought to be deleted, especially since, obtaining permission each time before his travel would be cumbersome," the court said. In its place the following new condition was substituted:"The applicant shall, one week before undertaking any travel outside India, intimate his travel details to the Investigating Officer along with the itinerary and place of stay and file an affidavit giving the details of his passport and his contact number outside the country as and when he travels.”The court said that condition restraining his travel outside the country was imposed on the applicant while granting him anticipatory bail to ensure that he is available during investigation. It noted that the investigation had been completed and the final report has been filed and the case is now pending on the files of the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court, Kakkanad.It said that since the investigation has been completed, the condition that the applicant shall not leave the country "has in fact worked itself out". The Court noted that the petitioner - officially known as Hirandas - is a professional singer and the pendency of a crime cannot be a reason to restrict the practice of his profession."The applicant has given the details of the various programmes that he has to participate, which include programmes at Dubai, Qatar, France and Germany in the coming two months. Pendency of a crime cannot be a restraint for the accused to pursue his profession or vocation," observed the Court.Thus, it disposed of the petition.Earlier, another Bench had deleted the condition imposed by the Sessions Court while granting him pre-arrest bail in a sexual harassment case. Case Title: Hiran Das Murali v. State of Kerala and Ors.Case No: Crl.M.App. No. 5 of 2025 in Bail Appl. 9377/ 2025Counsel for the petitioner: S. Rajeev, V. Vinay, M.S. Aneer, Sarath K.P., Anilkumar C.R., K.S. Kiran Krishnan, Dipa V., Akash Cherian Thomas, Azad Sunil.Counsel for the de facto complainant: Bimala Baby, Sibi Thomas Jacob, Magi Pavithran, Remya Thomas, Roshan ShajiClick to Read/Download Order

Pendency Of Crime Can't Be Restraint On Vocation: Kerala High Court Allows Rapper Vedan To Travel Abroad Without Prior Court Permission

K. Salma Jennath

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