Mafia presence strong in Kerala Police: Intel report
Almost half a year back, the Kerala Government had told the
High court that over 500 police officials were facing trial or probe on
criminal charges ranging from murder to cheating. The Intelligence wing
of the State police has now found that there is a strong nexus between
spirit and sand mafia and officials in the police force.
In the report submitted recently to the State Director General of
Police, the Additional DGP (Intelligence) has specified the names of 56
officials with proven mafia connections. The report has recommended
immediate removal of these officials from their charges and stringent
action against them in order to restore the credibility of the force.
The Intelligence report, copies of which have been distributed among all the zonal ADGPs, has recommended close surveillance on the officials named in it for mafia connections. It also says the officials having close links with the spirit and sand mafias include even a Superintendent of Police in Thiruvananthapuram district.
The Intelligence wing has found that the influence of the sand mining and smuggling mafia on officials in the police force is stronger in southern districts like Kollam and Alappuzha. It has warned that this unholy influence over police officials has emboldened the mafia to the extent of indulging in operations that threaten the law and order situation.
The recent incident in which an attempt was made to murder Kollam City Police Commissioner Debesh Kumar Behera by running him over with a truck is seen as an example of this. Behera is known for his relentless fight against the sand mafia. Officials in Kollam police say that the incident had affected the morale of the entire force.
According to the report of the ADGP (Intelligence), the murder of Manian Pillai, a police constable, at Kottara while on night patrol on June 26 and the direct involvement in the attempt to murder newspaper reporter VB Unnithan on April 16, 2011 are examples of how the police-mafia nexus had led to collapse of law and order situation in Kollam district.
Also, the Government had recently transferred KB Balachandran, Superintendent of Police (Rural), Kollam for alleged connections with the sand mafia. Sources in the Intelligence wing are of the opinion that the Government will have to launch a “cleansing campaign” if it really wants to weed out the “mafia agents” in the police, especially in Kollam and Alappuzha.
“There have always been elements in the police with close connections with the mafia but that connection has breached all barriers in some areas now,” said a former top official. “But I would say that cleansing cannot be done successfully if there is no will on the part of the politicians, many of whom also have such links,” he said.
In June last, the DGP had submitted a report in the Kerala High Court saying 533 officials in the police force were facing inquiries or trial in criminal cases. Officials accused in criminal cases included an Additional Director General of Police, an IGP, a DIG, DySPs and even women police personnel.
The officials listed in the DGP’s report had included those who were facing trial or investigations even in cases pertaining to murder, atrocities against women and cheating. As per the report, Thiruvananthapuram district had the highest number (118) of criminals in police while northern Wayanad district had the lowest number (12).
The Intelligence report, copies of which have been distributed among all the zonal ADGPs, has recommended close surveillance on the officials named in it for mafia connections. It also says the officials having close links with the spirit and sand mafias include even a Superintendent of Police in Thiruvananthapuram district.
The Intelligence wing has found that the influence of the sand mining and smuggling mafia on officials in the police force is stronger in southern districts like Kollam and Alappuzha. It has warned that this unholy influence over police officials has emboldened the mafia to the extent of indulging in operations that threaten the law and order situation.
The recent incident in which an attempt was made to murder Kollam City Police Commissioner Debesh Kumar Behera by running him over with a truck is seen as an example of this. Behera is known for his relentless fight against the sand mafia. Officials in Kollam police say that the incident had affected the morale of the entire force.
According to the report of the ADGP (Intelligence), the murder of Manian Pillai, a police constable, at Kottara while on night patrol on June 26 and the direct involvement in the attempt to murder newspaper reporter VB Unnithan on April 16, 2011 are examples of how the police-mafia nexus had led to collapse of law and order situation in Kollam district.
Also, the Government had recently transferred KB Balachandran, Superintendent of Police (Rural), Kollam for alleged connections with the sand mafia. Sources in the Intelligence wing are of the opinion that the Government will have to launch a “cleansing campaign” if it really wants to weed out the “mafia agents” in the police, especially in Kollam and Alappuzha.
“There have always been elements in the police with close connections with the mafia but that connection has breached all barriers in some areas now,” said a former top official. “But I would say that cleansing cannot be done successfully if there is no will on the part of the politicians, many of whom also have such links,” he said.
In June last, the DGP had submitted a report in the Kerala High Court saying 533 officials in the police force were facing inquiries or trial in criminal cases. Officials accused in criminal cases included an Additional Director General of Police, an IGP, a DIG, DySPs and even women police personnel.
The officials listed in the DGP’s report had included those who were facing trial or investigations even in cases pertaining to murder, atrocities against women and cheating. As per the report, Thiruvananthapuram district had the highest number (118) of criminals in police while northern Wayanad district had the lowest number (12).
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