Kerala Police-Gangster Nexus Stirs Political Storm

The suspension of several police officers in Kerala for attending a party hosted by a notorious gangster has led the opposition Congress to criticize the state's Left government. Accusations include political patronage of criminals, a failing Home Department, and the CM's lack of control over police forces.

An alleged nexus between police officials and gangsters revealed by the suspension of a few policemen for attending a party organised by a notorious criminal, prompted the opposition Congress on Tuesday to attack the Left government in Kerala by terming its Home Department a ''failure''.

Leader of Opposition in the state assembly V D Satheesan alleged that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has no control over the Home Department or the police and that both were being controlled by the CPI(M) and a 'coterie' in the CM's office.

He further alleged that the Left party was giving ''political patronage'' to criminal elements in the state.

''The party is behind everything. It is protecting and controlling the gangsters, criminals and drug mafias in the state. The CM is acting as a spectator. Police SPs are under the control of CPI(M) district committees and SHOs under the party area committees.

''The Home Department is a complete failure. People are being attacked in their homes in the state,'' Satheesan alleged.

He further alleged that as a result, ''gangsters, criminals and drug mafias are running rampant in the state''.

Satheesan's allegations came in the wake of the suspension of a Crime Branch DySP for breach of discipline and tarnishing the image of the police and the state government by spending hours at the home of a notorious gangster.

According to the police, the officer -- DySP M G Sabu -- and three other policemen allegedly attended a party at the residence of the notorious gangster Thammanam Faisal at Angamaly in the Ernakulam district on May 26.

Satheesan said that Kerala police was at one time termed as being better than the Scotland Yard.

''It (Kerala Police) is still competent. But, it has been made weak and its confidence broken,'' he claimed.