PATHANAMTHITTA: The court rejected anticipatory bail for Narayanan Thirumneni, the main accused in the unauthorized puja conducted in the scared Ponnambalamedu. Pathanamthitta principal sessions court after hearing the petitions filed by the forest department and Devoswom board viewed the case as a critical one with strong implications.

Advocate Ajith Prabhav who appeared for Narayanan Namboothiri said the puja was conducted according to Hindu rituals. He also said many such pujas are conducted here by tribals and Tamil Nadu natives over the years. In a 2011 high court finding, it was learned about the existence of a Shiva temple in Ponnambalamedu where rituals were commonly conducted mostly by Tamil Nadu natives and tribals. However, the court never took the views into acceptance.

Advocate Ajith Prabhav after hearing the incorrigible stance from the court decided to move High Court seeking bail for Narayanan Namboothiri. He said it is cruel to incarcerate someone just for conducting puja in a scared site. The advocate said Narayanan Namboothiri entering Ponnambalamedu was not trespassing.

Narayanan Namboothiri is still at large. The other Tamil Nadu natives who helped him reach Ponnambalamedu are supposed to be under Namboothiri’s safe watch. It was on May 8th that Namboothiri along with a cavalcade of Tamil Nadu natives reached Ponnambalamedu to conduct illegal puja.