Even after the police released popular rapper and singer Hirandas Murali—known by his stage name Vedan—in a minor cannabis-related case, the Forest Department’s decision to charge him under serious sections for possessing a tiger tooth sparked widespread public outrage. It was in the midst of this uproar that the Kerala High Court granted him bail yesterday. The court dismissed the arguments presented by the Forest Department and observed that the charge of hunting wild animals does not stand. Although Vedan stated he did not know the item gifted by his friend was a tiger tooth, the Forest Department disregarded his explanation and imposed serious charges—carrying potential prison terms of three to seven years—without first conducting a detailed investigation.

When Vedan was taken into police custody from a flat in Thrippunithura along with his friends, six grams of cannabis were recovered from the spot. Other than the police claim that Vedan admitted to using it, no further evidence was found. If Vedan—who has consistently raised his voice against synthetic drugs in his performances—did in fact use cannabis, it is undeniably wrong. However, the Forest Department's haste in slapping serious charges on him, immediately after the police let him go and even before he could obtain bail, raises suspicions that this may have been done to serve someone else's interests. When compared to the more lenient approach taken with other celebrities involved in similar cases, it's hard not to feel that one kind of justice is being reserved for them, and a different one for Vedan.

Vedan is a beloved figure among the younger generation, with hundreds of thousands of fans. The mindset and values of today’s youth should not be judged using outdated standards. Though he captivates audiences with hard-hitting lyrics and energetic performances, neither the police investigating the case nor the Forest Department—accused by his fans of trying to trap him—showed him the basic fairness every individual deserves. Many now suspect that a certain lobby, threatened by Vedan’s rise and the opportunities he represents, may have played a role in this targeting. In the words of his own song "Voice of the Voiceless", Vedan asks: "Who is the master and slave on water bodies? Who fenced off the thousands of fields?"—questions that emerge from someone who has walked through fire to get here.

Vedan is a symbol — a representation of youthful defiance that challenges the irrational prejudices held by a privileged section of society toward dark skin and caste, using the very same identity and strength they seek to undermine. He is a young man pushing forward through a life scorched by hunger, poverty, and caste-based discrimination. He questions through his music and movement. Vedan wears his name — which evokes the wildness of tribal life — as a badge of pride. He brings together the thoughts and awareness of the new generation. And it is this very individual who has been treated in a way harsher than even those accused of far more serious crimes. In a country where the law is meant to apply equally to all, society now asks: what exactly was Vedan’s crime? Those responsible owe the public an answer.