3,418 police officers on Sabarimala duty denied postal votes; Complaint lodged

Kozhikode: A total of 3,418 police officers scheduled to be deployed for duty at Sabarimala on December 9 have been denied the facility of postal voting. Those assigned to Nilakkal, Pamba and Sannidhanam from Thrissur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad, Kannur, Wayanad, Kasaragod, the Armed Battalion and the Bomb Squad are among those refused postal ballots.

Officers across all ranks, including ASPs, DySPs, Inspectors, SIs and Civil Police Officers, are affected.

Some officers have approached district police chiefs with complaints. Many police heads have reportedly taken the position that only those assigned to election duty are eligible for postal votes.

In some areas, nodal officers have stated that no directive has been received from the Election Commission, which they cite as the reason for denying postal voting.

In several districts, applications for postal ballots were accepted through nodal officers within a specified deadline. However, there have also been instances where applications were later rejected.

In Kozhikode city, officers from certain stations have lodged complaints with the Commissioner. Police officers point out that postal ballots are usually granted during every election, given that they fall under the emergency services category.