Thrissur Pooram controversy: Case filed against Suresh Gopi for arriving in ambulance

A case has been filed against Union Minister Suresh Gopi and two others for allegedly misusing an ambulance during the Thrissur Pooram festivities in April. The Thrissur East Police registered an FIR against Gopi, along with Abhijith Nair and an ambulance driver. The charges include rash driving and acting together with a common intention under Sections 279 and 34 of the IPC, and refusing to provide information (Section 179), driving dangerously (Section 184), disobeying police orders (Section 188), and using a vehicle without proper registration (Section 192) under the Motor Vehicles Act.

The case was filed following a complaint by K P Sumesh, a local CPI leader, accusing Gopi of using an ambulance to reach the Pooram venue despite police restrictions. According to the FIR, Gopi, who was a BJP candidate at the time, used an ambulance owned by Seva Bharati, which is meant for patients only, to meet with Thiruvambadi Devaswom authorities during the festival. The complaint states that they drove through a crowded area on Pooram day (April 20) in a way that could have endangered lives.

In response to the allegations, Gopi denied that he traveled to the festival site in an ambulance. He stated that he arrived in his car, which was attacked by political opponents. Gopi claimed that he was then helped by some young people who put him in an ambulance that was at the site for emergencies.

However, this incident has sparked a political debate, with Congress and CPI alleging that the Pooram was disrupted to help the BJP win the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat by evoking Hindu sentiment.

With PTI inputs