Hate speech: Ex-Kerala MLA George continues to be in hiding

Thiruvananthapuram, May 22: Senior leader and former Chief whip of Kerala legislative Assembly P.C. George continues to be hiding after the Ernakulam district magistrate rejected his anticipatory bail plea.

George, who courted controversy after speaking against a section of the society at a Hindu religious convention in May first week here, was given bail by the Thiruvananthapuram magistrate court.

After the bail, the former legislator made a speech at a temple in Vennala in Kochi during a temple function and there were complaints that he repeated the speech at the Hindu convention and spoke against a particular community here also.

The Ernakulam police registered an FIR against George and he applied for anticipatory bail. The court asked for the controversial speech and after viewing the speech, the Ernakulam magistrate court rejected the anticipatory bail on Saturday.

Police immediately conducted a search at his residence on Saturday and found that he was not there. On checking CCTV visuals, police found that he had left home on Saturday morning in a car and police then conducted a search at the residences of his relatives.

Ernakulam city police commissioner C.H. Nagaraju while speaking to the mediapersons on Sunday said that police are on the lookout for George.

Shaun George, son of P.C. George and Kottayam district panchayat member while speaking to mediapersons said, "We have moved anticipatory bail in the Kerala High Court and it will come for hearing on Monday."

It may be noted that George has of late closely started moving with the BJP and was vehemently criticising Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the LDF government.