Rap sensation Vedan, a polarising figure in Kerala, booked for rape

The police filed the First Information Report (FIR) under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 376 (2) [repeatedly raping the same woman], as the alleged crime took place before the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita replaced the IPC.

Vedan, a powerful Dalit voice in the Kerala rap scene, was in the news after the police arrested him under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act on charges of possessing six grams of ganja from a flat in Kochi in April. Besides, he faced a case under the Wildlife Protection Act on charges of wearing a pendant made of suspected leopard tooth. His arrest on charges of possessing the suspected leopard tooth triggered outrage on social media as people blamed the forest officials for their “overenthusiasm”.

However, things turned in favour of Vedan after he apologised to his younger fans for being a bad influence with respect to drug usage, and the state government started promoting him. Following the leopard tooth case, Vedan faced a sympathy wave, attracting huge crowds for his shows. The ruling CPI (M) backed Vedan, saying that the criticisms against him are attempts to suppress dissent by those who oppose the BJP’s ideology. The Kerala government invited Vedan to perform at events marking its 10th anniversary in power.

In June, the University of Calicut decided to include Vedan’s song in the degree-level syllabus of Malayalam language and literature. The university plan was for a comparative study between Vedan’s song, “Bhumi Njan Vazhunnidam (The Earth Where I Stay)”, and Michael Jackson’s “They Don’t Care About Us”. In protest against the decision, the BJP petitioned the Governor seeking the withdrawal of Vedan’s song from the syllabus since he is an accused in a drug case.