The Kerala High Court Today (Aug 19) gave interim protection to Malayalam rapper Vedan in a rape case filed by a young doctor. The Court said police cannot arrest him until the next hearing while his anticipatory bail plea is considered.
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KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday directed the police not to arrest Malayalam rapper, lyricist and performer Hiran Das Murali, popularly known as Vedan, in a rape case filed on the basis of a complaint by a woman doctor.
The woman alleged that she was sexually exploited under the “false pretext of marriage.”
Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas passed this interim order while considering Vedan’s anticipatory bail plea. The Court clarified that the protection from arrest will continue until the next posting date of the matter.
The case was registered by Thrikkakara Police after the complaint of the young doctor.
According to the FIR, the complainant and Vedan were in a consensual relationship until 2021, which began after the complainant reached out to him as a fan. Their relationship gradually became intimate, first in Calicut and later in Ernakulam.
The complainant said that Vedan made repeated promises to marry her, which led to multiple instances of physical intimacy and even financial transactions.
In his bail plea, Vedan argued that the relationship was voluntary. He stated that the complaint was filed only after a personal fallout between the two.
His petition also submitted that even if the allegations are accepted at face value, it does not satisfy the legal ingredients of the offence of rape under Sections 376 and 376(2)(n) of the IPC.
Relying on earlier judgments, Vedan argued that a broken promise of marriage, especially in a long-standing consensual relationship, does not automatically amount to rape unless the promise was false from the beginning.
Vedan also alleged that a group of individuals are conspiring to malign his reputation and extort money by filing coordinated complaints.
He claimed that several threatening voice messages and calls have been received by him and his associates, which are part of this orchestrated campaign.
His petition further added that he is a public figure and an artist with no prior criminal record. Custodial interrogation is unnecessary as he is willing to fully cooperate with the investigation.
Earlier, the Court had allowed the complainant woman to join the proceedings in this case. She strongly opposed relief for Vedan, stating that he had two other rape complaints against him, making him a habitual offender.
This is not the first time Vedan has faced legal trouble. Earlier this year, he was arrested twice in different cases. In April, he was held with others for alleged cannabis possession in Kochi. In another case, he was booked for wearing a leopard tooth pendant, which he said was a fan’s gift. He secured bail in both cases.
Recently, the police even issued a lookout notice against Vedan, who is believed to be absconding.
- Vedan was represented by advocates S Rajeev, V Vinay, MS Aneer, Sarath KP, Anilkumar CR, KS Kiran Krishnan, Dipa V, Akash Cherian Thomas, and Azad Sunil.
BACKGROUND
Malayalam rapper, lyricist and stage performer Hiran Das Murali, popularly known as Vedan, on Aug 1st approached the Kerala High Court seeking anticipatory bail in a rape case.
The case was filed on the basis of a complaint from a young doctor, who alleged that she was sexually exploited under the false pretext of marriage.
The Thrikkakara Police registered the case after receiving the doctor’s complaint. According to the first information report (FIR), the complainant first contacted Vedan as a fan, and later they entered into a relationship. Their association reportedly turned intimate from 2021 onwards, first in Calicut and later in Ernakulam.
The complainant alleged that Vedan repeatedly assured her that he would marry her. Believing his promises, she got into a physical relationship with him multiple times. She also mentioned that there were financial transactions between them during this period.
In his bail petition, Vedan strongly denied the allegations. He said the relationship was mutual and consensual. He further stated that the complaint was made only after a personal fallout between them.
His petition also argued that even if the claims are taken at face value, they do not meet the legal definition of rape under Section 376 (punishment for rape) and Section 376(2)(n) (repeated rape on the same woman) of the Indian Penal Code.
Vedan’s petition highlighted several court precedents to argue that a broken promise of marriage in a long-standing consensual relationship cannot be considered rape unless it can be shown that the promise was false from the very beginning.
The petition specifically quoted:
“The promise to marriage and when there is a sore in the relationship the attitude of filing complaint alleging that the accused sexually abused the complainant will not come under the category of rape. Both the petitioner and the defacto complainant are major and educated and aware of the consequences.”
The plea also claimed that a group of people are working together to tarnish his public image and extort money by filing multiple complaints against him.
According to the petition, Vedan and his associates have received threatening calls and voice messages, which he believes are part of this deliberate campaign to defame him.
The rapper, who is a well-known public figure with no past criminal record, argued that his custodial interrogation is unnecessary as he is willing to fully cooperate with the police investigation.
He also submitted that despite repeated requests, the police have not yet given him a copy of the FIR or other related documents, which is why he could not attach them along with his petition.
It is worth noting that this is not the first time Vedan has faced legal troubles. Earlier this year, he was arrested twice in separate cases. In April 2025, he was arrested in Kochi along with others for alleged possession of cannabis.
In another case, he was held for wearing a leopard tooth pendant, which he claimed was a gift from a fan. In both instances, he managed to secure bail.
CASE TITLE:
Hiran Das Murali v State of Kerala & anr.
Case No:
Bail Appl. No. 9377/2025
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