NILAKKAL/SABARIMALA: Amid the growing criticism of the alleged police high-handedness in arresting BJP leader K Surendran and Hindu Aikya Vedi chief K P Sasikala which has become a veritable PR disaster, DGP Loknath Behera on Sunday said the officers at Ground Zero in Sabarimala have been given the necessary freedom to take necessary steps to ensure peace there.
‘The decision to arrest BJP leader K Surendran was taken by officers on the field to ensure law and order maintenance. There are senior officers led by ADGP, IG and SP at Ground Zero in Sabarimala and Nilakkal for ensuring law and order maintenance. They are using their discretionary powers on whether or not to carry out arrests. Their task is to ensure peaceful atmosphere in Sabarimala and they are doing their job pretty well,” Behera told Express.
The DGP said so far they have not received information on any woman in the 10-50 age group coming to Nilakkal to undertake the trek to Sabarimala. “If anyone turns up, we will take the necessary steps,” he said.
Against the backdrop of Sasikala and Surendran’s arrest, Behera made it clear the police did not intend to arrest leaders of the BJP and Hindu outfits headed to Sabarimala.
“Police have prepared an assessment report and we know the troublemakers. We will act accordingly,” he said. The remand report prepared by police said Surendran was arrested since his presence at Sabarimala would have worsened the law and order situation there. “If he is granted bail, there is a possibility of law and order collapse in Sabarimala during the ongoing Mandala-Makaravilakku season,” it said.