THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:As the furore over a section of politicians and religious leaders indiscriminately using policemen as escorts rages on, it has been revealed the security review committee during its last meeting had recommended withdrawing security cover of 23 people, including politicians after assessments were made that they no longer faced security threats.
The list includes SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan, MPs K V Thomas, Anto Antony, N K Premachandran, MLAs P K Basheer, P J Joseph, M K Muneer, Thomas Chandy and CPM Nadapuram area committee secretary P P Chathu among others. The list also included Sabarimala Melshanthi A V Unnikrishnan Namboodiri and former director of prosecution V C Ismail.
The committee headed by Paul Antony met in May and gauged that the 23 persons no longer were under any threat and recommended to do away with their security blanket being provided by Kerala Police. The reports from the Central and state intelligence agencies were relied upon to reach the decision. Some of the people had four private security officers (PSO) with them while others had one or two.However, the decision failed to produce the desired effect until the recent controversy erupted where it was alleged some of the politicians and former ministers were not returning the PSOs.
State Police Chief Loknath Behera said since he had issued a circular directing the PSOs illegally kept by influential people, personnel have started returning to their mother units.“The circular has had its effect and people are returning. Those who still chose to stay back do it at their own peril. Their salaries will be deducted,” he said.
It has been learnt some of the police personnel attached with internal security team are yet to report to their unit heads.Meanwhile, sources said IUML leader and Kozhikode South MLA Dr M K Muneer and Ernad MLA P K Basheer are yet to relieve their PSOs. Meanwhile, Anto Antony and K V Thomas had written to the CM asking not to recall their securitymen.
