Police Sunday took into custody Rahul Easwar, president of the 'Ayyappa Dharma Sena', for his alleged provocative statement related to the entry of women into the Lord Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala.

A team of police personnel from Kochi took Easwar into custody from his flat in Thiruvananthapuram in connection with a case registered under IPC Sections 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) and 117 (abetting commission of offence by the public or by more than 10 persons), police said.

The arrest will be recorded in the evening after they reach Kochi, police sources said.

A member of the Thazhamon family of Sabarimala tantris (head priests), Easwar had said during a press meet in Kochi last week that they had a contingency plan to force the closure of the temple by spilling blood on its premises by some devotees in case any woman in the 'barred' age group managed to reach it.

He had also claimed that 20 Lord Ayyappa devotees opposing the entry of women in the age group of 10 and 50 were ready to inflict knife injuries on themselves on the temple premises, which would have forced the priests to close the gates on account of impurity.

"Had their blood fallen on the floor of the temple, that would have forced the priests to shut the shrine for three days for purification rituals," Easwar had said.

A case was registered against him later on the basis of a complaint filed by a Thiruvananthapuram native.

Kerala Devaswom Minister Kadakkampally Surendran had claimed that effective police intervention had foiled the protesters' bid to "desecrate" the Ayyappa Temple by spilling blood in the premises if women devotees in the 10-50 age group offered prayers.

He had said the "conspiracy" of the devotees was made clear by the statement of Rahul Easwar.

The Minister had also said the disclosure showed that there was a well-conceived plan, similar to that followed by nations to attack their enemies and added that this attempt was not only 'seditious,' but also against the interests of devotees.

Easwar was earlier arrested from Sabarimala Sannidhanam (temple complex) on October 17 over the 'save Sabarimala campaign, and later released on bail.

The temple had witnessed high drama with around a dozen women in 10-50 age group being prevented from entering the temple by protesting devotees after the doors were opened for all women, following the Supreme Court verdict.

On September 28, a five-judge Constitution bench of the Apex Court, headed by then Chief Justice Dipak Misra, had lifted the centuries-old ban on the entry of women of menstrual age into the shrine.

BJP state president P S Sreedharan Pillai Sunday lashed out at the police action against Easwar.

"BJP condemns the police action on Rahul Easwar and also those associated wit the protests over the Sabarimala issue," he told reporters.

Police Sunday took into custody Rahul Easwar, president of the 'Ayyappa Dharma Sena', for his alleged provocative statement related to the entry of women into the Lord Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala.

Police Sunday took into custody Rahul Easwar, president of the 'Ayyappa Dharma Sena', for his alleged provocative statement related to the entry of women into the Lord Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala. A team of police personnel from Kochi took Easwar into custody from his flat in Thiruvananthapuram in connection with a case registered under IPC Sections 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) and 117 (abetting commission of offence by the public or by more than 10 persons), police said. The arrest will be recorded in the evening after they reach Kochi, police sources said. A member of the Thazhamon family of Sabarimala tantris (head priests), Easwar had said during a press meet in Kochi last week that they had a contingency plan to force the closure of the temple by spilling blood on its premises by some devotees in case any woman in the 'barred' age group managed to reach it. He had also claimed that 20 Lord Ayyappa devotees opposing the entry of women in the age group of 10 and 50 were ready to inflict knife injuries on themselves on the temple premises, which would have forced the priests to close the gates on account of impurity. "Had their blood fallen on the floor of the temple, that would have forced the priests to shut the shrine for three days for purification rituals," Easwar had said. A case was registered against him later on the basis of a complaint filed by a Thiruvananthapuram native. Kerala Devaswom Minister Kadakkampally Surendran had claimed that effective police intervention had foiled the protesters' bid to "desecrate" the Ayyappa Temple by spilling blood in the premises if women devotees in the 10-50 age group offered prayers. He had said the "conspiracy" of the devotees was made clear by the statement of Rahul Easwar. The Minister had also said the disclosure showed that there was a well-conceived plan, similar to that followed by nations to attack their enemies and added that this attempt was not only 'seditious,' but also against the interests of devotees. Easwar was earlier arrested from Sabarimala Sannidhanam (temple complex) on October 17 over the 'save Sabarimala campaign, and later released on bail. The temple had witnessed high drama with around a dozen women in 10-50 age group being prevented from entering the temple by protesting devotees after the doors were opened for all women, following the Supreme Court verdict. On September 28, a five-judge Constitution bench of the Apex Court, headed by then Chief Justice Dipak Misra, had lifted the centuries-old ban on the entry of women of menstrual age into the shrine. BJP state president P S Sreedharan Pillai Sunday lashed out at the police action against Easwar. "BJP condemns the police action on Rahul Easwar and also those associated wit the protests over the Sabarimala issue," he told reporters.

Rahul Easwar taken into custody on controversial remarks over Sabarimala

Activist and leader of the Ayyappa Dharma Sena Rahul Easwar, who was detained by the police from Nilakkal base camp for leading&nbsp;a section of protest in Sabarimala on Wednesday has been sent to police remand today.&nbsp;

A non-bailable FIR was also registered against Easwar who is currently lodged in Kottarakkara sub jail in Kerala.&nbsp;

Around 30 people were arrested in Kerala's Pamba in the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/women-stopped-from-entering-keralas-sabarimala-temple-for-second-day-in-a-row-172129">protest that followed in Sabarimala temple</a> against the women in the age group of 10-50 years.

Out of the 30, nine were arrested on Tuesday while 21 were arrested on Wednesday.&nbsp;

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Kerala: Activist Rahul Easwar has been sent to police remand and is currently lodged in Kottarakkara sub jail. He was arrested yesterday from Nilakkal base camp &amp; a non-bailable FIR was registered against him. (file pic) <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SabarimalaTemple?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SabarimalaTemple</a> <a href="https://t.co/wi2g6rTMMe">pic.twitter.com/wi2g6rTMMe</a>
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Women's entry to the temple was blocked for the second day by protesters today.

For centuries, the Sabarimala temple in Kerala has banned women and girls between the ages of 10 and 50 from entering the holy site.

But last month, the Supreme Court ruled the ban that infringed on the right to worship.

Entries for women is blocked by the&nbsp;"conservative devotees" despite the Supreme Court's ruling.

Clashes erupted&nbsp;between police and protesters when the temple opened the gates of the temple&nbsp;for the first time since the ban was lifted on Wednesday.

Activist and leader of the Ayyappa Dharma Sena Rahul Easwar, who was detained by the police from Nilakkal base camp for leading a section of protest in Sabarimala on Wednesday has been sent to police remand today.

Activist and leader of the Ayyappa Dharma Sena Rahul Easwar, who was detained by the police from Nilakkal base camp for leading a section of protest in Sabarimala on Wednesday has been sent to police remand today. A non-bailable FIR was also registered against Easwar who is currently lodged in Kottarakkara sub jail in Kerala. Around 30 people were arrested in Kerala's Pamba in the protest that followed in Sabarimala temple against the women in the age group of 10-50 years. Out of the 30, nine were arrested on Tuesday while 21 were arrested on Wednesday. Kerala: Activist Rahul Easwar has been sent to police remand and is currently lodged in Kottarakkara sub jail. He was arrested yesterday from Nilakkal base camp & a non-bailable FIR was registered against him. (file pic) #SabarimalaTemple pic.twitter.com/wi2g6rTMMe — ANI (@ANI) October 18, 2018 × Women's entry to the temple was blocked for the second day by protesters today. For centuries, the Sabarimala temple in Kerala has banned women and girls between the ages of 10 and 50 from entering the holy site. But last month, the Supreme Court ruled the ban that infringed on the right to worship. Entries for women is blocked by the "conservative devotees" despite the Supreme Court's ruling. Clashes erupted between police and protesters when the temple opened the gates of the temple for the first time since the ban was lifted on Wednesday.

Activist Rahul Easwar remanded in police custody over Sabarimala unrest

&quot;You have to get me out. I will be killed anytime...&quot; says Hadiya in a video released by activist Rahul Easwar in Ernakulam in India&#39;s southern state of Kerala.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/not-all-love-marriages-are-love-jihads-observes-kerala-high-court-22629" target="_blank">Hadiya, who was placed in the protective custody of her parents by Kerala High Court,</a> can be heard saying in the video released by The News Minute that her father was beating her up at random and she feared serious physical injury.&nbsp;

Hadiya was Akhila and a Hindu before converting to Islam and marrying a Muslim man. Their marriage is being investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for being a case of what is called &quot;Love Jihad&quot;, seen by many Right-wing activists as an Islamist ploy to convert Hindu young women. &nbsp;

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/sc-refuses-to-nullify-marriage-of-25-year-old-hadiya-to-a-muslim-man-5630" target="_blank">Kerala High Court annulled her marriage</a> to Shafin Jahan in May after which she has been staying with her parents who have allegedly not allowed her out of the house since then. &nbsp;

The video ends suddenly even as Hadiya hurriedly tries to get her message recorded.&nbsp;

&quot;You need to get me out. I will be killed anytime, tomorrow or the day after, I am sure. I know my father is getting angry. When I walk, he is hitting and kicking me. If my head or any other part of my body hits somewhere and I die...&quot;, says Hadiya in the 16-second video, shot on August 17, purportedly recorded by Easwar at her house in Vaikom in Kottayam.&nbsp;

Easwar said the entire video was not released since there was communal content in it and also added that Hadiya&#39;s father had moved legally after he released the first video.&nbsp;

&quot;After I released the first video, Hadiya&rsquo;s father, Ashokan, had moved legally against me, accusing me of breach of trust. Now the HC has said that his case won&#39;t stand. In that circumstance, I can confidently release the footage,&quot; Easwar was quoted in media reports as saying when he was asked about the timing of the video being released. &nbsp;

Easwar has released the video after film-maker Gopal Menon revealed that the former has a video in which Hadiya has claimed she was being beaten up by her father.&nbsp;

Easwar also told reported that on August 23 he had given the footage to Justice RV Raveendran who was appointed by Supreme Court of India to monitor the NIA probe.&nbsp;

&quot;I followed all legal steps and mailed the video to Justice Raveendran. But when he did not take up the case, I gave a written complaint to the Women&#39;s Commission and also submitted the footage to them... Hadiya&#39;s rights cannot be compromised with,&quot; he told the news outlet. &nbsp;

The next hearing of the case scheduled on October 30.&nbsp;

In the 16-second video released by Rahul Easwar, Hadiya said her father had been beating her

"You have to get me out. I will be killed anytime..." says Hadiya in a video released by activist Rahul Easwar in Ernakulam in India's southern state of Kerala. Hadiya, who was placed in the protective custody of her parents by Kerala High Court, can be heard saying in the video released by The News Minute that her father was beating her up at random and she feared serious physical injury. Hadiya was Akhila and a Hindu before converting to Islam and marrying a Muslim man. Their marriage is being investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for being a case of what is called "Love Jihad", seen by many Right-wing activists as an Islamist ploy to convert Hindu young women. The Kerala High Court annulled her marriage to Shafin Jahan in May after which she has been staying with her parents who have allegedly not allowed her out of the house since then. The video ends suddenly even as Hadiya hurriedly tries to get her message recorded. "You need to get me out. I will be killed anytime, tomorrow or the day after, I am sure. I know my father is getting angry. When I walk, he is hitting and kicking me. If my head or any other part of my body hits somewhere and I die...", says Hadiya in the 16-second video, shot on August 17, purportedly recorded by Easwar at her house in Vaikom in Kottayam. Easwar said the entire video was not released since there was communal content in it and also added that Hadiya's father had moved legally after he released the first video. "After I released the first video, Hadiya’s father, Ashokan, had moved legally against me, accusing me of breach of trust. Now the HC has said that his case won't stand. In that circumstance, I can confidently release the footage," Easwar was quoted in media reports as saying when he was asked about the timing of the video being released. Easwar has released the video after film-maker Gopal Menon revealed that the former has a video in which Hadiya has claimed she was being beaten up by her father. Easwar also told reported that on August 23 he had given the footage to Justice RV Raveendran who was appointed by Supreme Court of India to monitor the NIA probe. "I followed all legal steps and mailed the video to Justice Raveendran. But when he did not take up the case, I gave a written complaint to the Women's Commission and also submitted the footage to them... Hadiya's rights cannot be compromised with," he told the news outlet. The next hearing of the case scheduled on October 30.

Kerala 'Love Jihad' case: 'I will be killed anytime... I am sure,' says Hadiya in new video

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Rahul Easwar taken into custody on controversial remarks over Sabarimala

Activist Rahul Easwar remanded in police custody over Sabarimala unrest

Kerala 'Love Jihad' case: 'I will be killed anytime... I am sure,' says Hadiya in new video