Wed Dec 11 16:16:51 UTC 2024: ## Kerala High Court Cancels Bail for Five RSS Workers in SDPI Leader’s Murder Case
**Kochi, Kerala – December 11, 2024** – The Kerala High Court overturned the bail granted to five Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) workers accused in the murder of a Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) leader in Alappuzha. Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas ruled that the Alappuzha Additional Session Court had granted bail without sufficient justification, describing the decision as “mechanical” and failing to consider the seriousness of the crime or the potential for witness tampering.
The SDPI leader was murdered on December 18, 2021, while riding his motorcycle. While the High Court cancelled the bail for five of the ten accused – Vishnu, Abhimanyu, Sanand, Athul, and Dhaneesh – it upheld the bail for the remaining five: Rajendra Prasad, Sreeraj P.K., Pranav, Murukeshan, and Sreenath.
The High Court criticized the sessions court for not providing any reasons for granting bail and for failing to consider the potential for the accused to influence witnesses or tamper with evidence. The Kerala state government had challenged the initial bail order, arguing that it violated legal principles. The case highlights ongoing tensions between the RSS and SDPI in Kerala.
First Piper 