Onam celebrations spark controversies involving cops, prison staff in Kerala capital

Onam celebrations have landed Kerala’s police and prison employees in controversy, with two separate incidents reported from Thiruvananthapuram. Both incidents occurred in the same district and within less than 5 km of each other, bringing scrutiny on departments under the state Home portfolio.

The first involved accused persons attending an Onam celebration at the Museum police station after arriving there to comply with a bail condition. A report by the Thiruvananthapuram City Police Commissioner has termed the police response a serious lapse.

Barely a few kilometres away, an Onam celebration at the Poojappura Central Jail complex also ended in a clash between prison employees during a DJ party.

Accused join police station Onam celebrations

The accused in the case involving an alleged attack on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials who had gone to inspect the residence of Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan were allowed to remain at the Museum police station after appearing there to sign as required under their bail conditions.

Among them was former Corporation councillor and CPM leader IP Binu, along with his co-accused.

According to the Commissioner’s report, allowing the accused to stay at the station after completing the signing procedure amounted to a serious lapse on the part of police officers.

A Special Branch team has also submitted a preliminary inquiry report into the incident. City Police Commissioner Arul B Krishna conducted a separate inquiry and prepared a report.

The key finding was that officers failed to ask the accused to leave the station after they completed the procedure required under their bail conditions.

The report noted that the accused gathered inside the station and later took part in the Onam celebrations, including using a swing arranged as part of the event and playing the chenda.

Police officers present at the station did not intervene or ask them to leave, according to the findings.

The report has recommended a detailed inquiry into why the officers in charge of the station allowed or encouraged the accused to become part of the celebrations.

Another issue flagged in the report concerns the dress code followed for the police station’s Onam programme.

The police personnel had arranged a specific dress code for the celebrations. The accused, including IP Binu, reportedly arrived wearing clothes matching the dress code followed by the police officers.

The police had purchased 66 pairs of clothes from a textile shop for the celebrations. An inquiry is now looking into whether any of those clothes were given to the accused.

Another possibility being examined is whether information about the dress code was leaked and the accused deliberately wore clothes of the same colour.

The report has called for a detailed investigation into the circumstances surrounding the matching attire.

Health Minister K Muraleedharan has criticised the incident and demanded a detailed inquiry into how the accused came to the station wearing the police personnel’s dress code.

He alleged that some police officers had even arranged a mundu and shirt for the accused.

“There are some police officers who still do not know that the government has changed,” he alleged, while also making political allegations about those behind the celebrations.

The Home Minister or the department has not yet issued a response to the incident.

Police are expected to take action against officers who were present at the station after the detailed inquiry. The City Police have also initiated steps to examine whether the accused violated their bail conditions and whether their bail should be cancelled.

Clash at Poojappura Central Jail

While the Museum police station incident has raised questions over police conduct, another Onam celebration in the same district has drawn attention to the prison employees.

Prison employees allegedly clashed during a DJ party held at the Poojappura Central Jail complex on Saturday night as part of a regional Onam celebration organised by the prison employees’ association.

Employees from Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Pathanamthitta districts attended the programme.

The clash reportedly began after some employees tried to get on stage to sing and dance during the DJ party. A disagreement that followed escalated into a physical fight.

One employee suffered an eye injury in the clash and was taken to hospital.

There are also suspicions that some of those involved had consumed alcohol.

The problems arising from the clash were reportedly resolved by prison employees at the venue itself.

No case has been registered so far, as the programme was organised by the employees’ association and nobody has lodged a complaint, according to the available information.