Police-gangster friendships

It is quite natural that when the Kerala Police launched Operation AAG to prevent the alarming increase in goon rampage in the state and to rein in the goons, the incident of arresting the DYSP and three police officers who had come to a party organized by a notorious goon leader has become a matter of discussion. So is the disgrace the incident brought to the home ministry which is handled by the chief minister himself. Crime Branch DYSP Sabu, who is going to retire from service on May 31, was the special guest at the send-off program organized by goon Thammanam Faisal. It is reported that the grand farewell program was organized with the knowledge and permission of the top police officers of Ernakulam district. The DySP has been suspended for the time being after the incident became news. According to the notification issued by the Joint Secretary on the order of the Governor, the action was necessary because Sabu's action would spread the impression that officers who are responsible for protecting the public are helping the goons.

Also read: Police officers suspended for attending party hosted by criminals

If this was the first or isolated incident of its kind, it would not have been worrisome. The state government often claims that the image of the Kerala Police is better than the police forces of other states in India. If that is true, people need to feel a lot of sympathy for the police force in other parts of the country. The reason is that the people are suffering from the malfeasance, corruption, and moral turpitude of the police in Kerala. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had revealed in the Legislative Assembly that there were 828 cases in which police officers were accused as per the six-year data from June 1, 2016, to January 2023. Police criminals are charged with a variety of crimes ranging from theft to attempted murder. There are also POCSO case defendants in the group. At that time, the Chief Minister, as the one in charge of the Home Department, had said that steps had been taken to dismiss 58 of them. The accused police officers are dismissed in cases punishable by imprisonment for life or ten years. Naturally, this action can only be taken after careful investigation and production of evidence. It is reasonable to doubt how honest the investigation of the police will be when the fence itself is eating the crop. Needless to say, the doors of escape are open for criminals through political pressures and bribery.

Also read: Kerala police arrest over 2500 persons in a day under Operation Aag

It is a natural process that when the availability of alcohol, the main source of government revenue, is as smooth and universal as never before, the top police officers simultaneously become its beneficiaries and instruments. And it is liquor that gangsters and criminals make the most effective use of. If Kerala is used to having high-ranking police officers as guests and waiters at parties where deadly intoxicants are shared, one can only imagine the situation which the state has come to. It is also a stark truth that gang leaders, underworld leaders, businessmen, or political leaders who protect them all organize drinking parties. Seeing and experiencing all this, it cannot be said that the new generation growing up is attracted to the path of criminals. The representatives of the organization themselves point out that alcohol is behind the violent developments of the Congress student organization in Thiruvananthapuram that resulted in a scuffle. When all this is happening on one side, the government is going to decide to open bars in IT parks and remove the ban on closing bars on the first day of the month. Now the issue is the bribery of crores which was revealed to have taken place behind it, and not the need to change the government's liberal liquor policy. In such an immoral situation, it is not a big deal that the police officers accept the hospitality of goons and thugs. For the time being, we can only assume that there will be some suspensions to put dust in people's eyes.