The Supreme Court will hear the anticipatory bail plea of actor Kootickal Jayachandran in the POCSO case today. The bench comprising Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma will consider the plea.
Currently, the Supreme Court has imposed a stay on Kootickal Jayachandran’s arrest. Earlier, the Supreme Court had directed him to cooperate with the investigation conducted by the Kozhikode Kasaba police. Jayachandran’s lawyer argued that the case is a misuse of the POCSO Act. The Kerala High Court had previously rejected his anticipatory bail plea, leading Jayachandran to approach the Supreme Court. The High Court observed that custodial interrogation was necessary and held that there was a prima facie case against him.
In June 2024, the Kozhikode Kasaba police registered a case against Jayachandran. Although the case was registered, the police did not arrest him, claiming he was absconding. Meanwhile, Jayachandran filed for anticipatory bail in the POCSO court in Kozhikode, but both the Additional Sessions Court and the High Court rejected his plea. He then approached the Supreme Court seeking relief.
