KOCHI: Police personnel in Kochi city are in a dilemma over conducting late-night checks at the homes of individuals whose names appear in the Rowdy History-Sheeter (RHS) list maintained by the home department. While senior officers insist on conducting late-night surveillance visits, the Kerala High Court has cautioned the police against entering houses of such individuals, leaving officers uncertain about how far they can go.
“It is a regular practice to check the whereabouts of history-sheeters between 1am and 3am, and report details to higher officers. The practice was stopped after a High Court directive in June 2025 but restarted last month due to rising law and order issues,” said a police officer attached to the Thoppumpady station’s control room vehicle.
During a recent night patrol in Thoppumpady, the police visited the house of a history-sheeter named Thanseer. When the team knocked on the door, he objected, citing the court order. A brief scuffle followed before the police withdrew.
“We get verbal instructions from our seniors to conduct such checks, but there is no legal backing for what we do. When suspects cite the court order, we have no answer,” the officer added.
A sub-inspector from the Kochi city police said that the High Court’s directive stemmed from an earlier incident involving Prasad C, alias Odi Prasad, of Mundamveli.
A police squad led by sub-inspector Jinson Dominic had gone to his house for a late-night check on April 3, 2025. Prasad refused to cooperate and later accused the police of misconduct and harassment.
“Following his complaint, the court quashed the FIR and stated that under the guise of surveillance, police cannot knock on doors or enter houses of history-sheeters,” said the officer. The order was issued on June 19, 2025.
Kochi city deputy commissioner (Law and Order) Juvvanapudi Mahesh said the police are strictly following court directives
“We no longer conduct intrusive house checks. Surveillance is limited to monitoring suspicious activities, and all actions are recorded through proper General Diary entries. The court has not imposed a blanket ban on house searches but directed us to ensure privacy and personal liberty,” he said.