KOCHI: Kerala Police will verify the antecedents of female devotees aged between 10 and 50 arriving to trek Sabarimala on November 5, when the temple will open for a day’s pooja, to ensure that no one uses the opportunity to purposefully disrupt peace, stir riot or communal clash in the state.The purported move by the police is to ensure that activists, agents of Left-wing extremists (LWEs) and women seeking publicity stunt are not entertained at the cost of law and order.
The state police will also consider imposing prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC in advance at Nilakkal, Pamba, and Sabarimala to prevent grouping of people to stage protests.State police chief Loknath Behera told Express that the police are serious about the Centre’s advisory about the attempts by LWE organisations to create a law and order situation at Sabarimala in the wake of the Supreme Court verdict.
“We will thoroughly check the background details of women in the age group of 10 to 50 who will come for Sabarimala pilgrimage. We are also contemplating to enforce prohibitory orders in advance. We will take a decision on this in due course,” he added.Meanwhile, state intelligence has analysed that activist and BSNL employee Rehna Fathima had made the attempt to trek Sabarimala for mere publicity and her action could have resulted in complete breakdown of law and order at Sabarimala.
Right from November 3, the state government has decided to deploy three senior officers, including two officers in the rank of Inspector Generals (IGs) exclusively for monitoring law and order situation from Nilakkal to Sannidhanam.
While Thrissur range IG M R Ajith Kumar has been given the charge to monitor the Nilakkal-Pamba stretch, Aluva SP Rahul R Nair will be in charge of Pamba and IG P Vijayan at the Sannidhanam.
The state police chief has also decided to go with the same set of officers to maintain law and order in the first phase of annual pilgrimage season when the temple opens on November 17.