While a temple pujari was performing puja in the Sreekovil, Thiruvananthapuram police allegedly entered a temple, took the pujari into custody and forcibly brought him to the police station. Arun Potti, the priest of Thiruvananthapuram’s Attukal Kuriyathi Ammankovil, faced the misfortune. The incident happened around 5.45 pm on Friday.
Following protests from the temple officials and devotees, the police released Arun around 8 pm. The extreme action of the police was in the case of the disappearance of the Panchaloha murti of the Poonthura temple where Arun was a priest some weeks ago. Arun says he has nothing to do with the murti vanishing from the temple.
Arun and several other employees quit their jobs after quarrelling with the secretary of the Poonthura temple. The temple authorities filed charges against all those who quit in connection with the disappearance of the idol. Arun’s name was also mentioned in that group.
Police called Arun for questioning, and he promised to reach the station on Saturday. Meanwhile, Arun says that the police entered the temple on Friday evening and forcibly took him away.
Arun regularly reaches the Ammankovil temple around 5 pm. The police came while he was inside the shrine, preparing for the lamp worship. The police asked if he was Arun, and he replied yes.
When he came down the Sreekovil stairs, police asked him to enter a waiting police vehicle. When Arun asked why, the reply was, “We are from Poonthura station; don’t you know the matter.”
Arun was taken to the police vehicle and brought to the police station after a medical examination. He was then questioned about the missing murti. Police asked Arun if he suspected anyone. Arun replied, “I don’t know, sir.”
When it was eight o’clock, the police said, “The puja is not over yet, right? You can leave.” Arun said that he had been insulted and told the police that he did not want to leave. The police took him in the jeep and dropped Arun near the temple.
Arun met the Thiruvananthapuram Fort Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) and filed a complaint. The Ammankovil temple trust officials have also filed a complaint. Arun Potti said that the ACP has also assured them that action will be taken against the policemen who are guilty of the incident.
Hindu devotees opined that even if the pujari is guilty, the police could have handled the situation more subtly. We have not seen Kerala police drag out POCSO-accused madrassa mullahs from mosques in Kerala.
Many suspect a ‘Green Light’ interference in Arun’s ordeal. A group of highly radicalized Islamist officers in Kerala police call themselves ‘Pacha Velicham’ (Green Light). They allegedly leak vital information, have ISIS links, help fundamentalist hit squads and commit atrocities against non-Muslims to appease their political leadership.
