Accusations of illegal activities are rampant in Idukki district police. Janmabhumi reported that a departmental investigation is in progress against two officers under the DySP of Thodupuzha in connection with suspected terrorist links.

Complaints arise that proper investigation is not being done even when serious issues continue. Besides the District Police Chief’s investigation into the incident, agencies investigating terrorist links have collected information.

One officer who participated in the recently held Palestine ‘solidarity rally’ led by the Kanjar mosque. He also tried to go on a tour to Israel after taking leave. The officer who wanted to go to Israel had applied for extended leave. When this was rejected, he took casual leave and left the country. The incident is under investigation.

A Malappuram-based tour agency organized the Israel tour. An agent in Kollam arranged the policeman’s journey. The group was forced to return via Jordan after one of their companions absconded. The incident happened in June. (It is clear that the recent Hamas terrorist attack on Israel was pre-planned.)

The police officer returned to work after his casual leave ended. The incident is still under investigation. The officer changing his statement is confusing the investigating officers. What authorities are waiting for remains unclear.

Another officer also participated in a Palestinian solidarity rally at the Kanjar Mosque. The investigation against him is also going on. Allegedly, efforts are being made to suppress both these incidents with the intervention of the Police Association. This has slowed down the investigation.

Last year, an article demeaning Hindu Dharma was published in the official monthly publication of the Kerala Police Association, Kaval Kairali, in a sacrilegious manner. It was pure hate speech against Hindus. The article features extremely offensive references to Sri Hanuman Swamy and indecently depicted episodes from the Ramayana.

Such issues that affect the discipline and solidarity of the police force are multiplying in the district, especially at one station in the low range. The information given by top officials is that strict action will be taken if the crime is proven. Many police officers go abroad and come back without even seeking permission from the government. The demand to investigate the reason for their journey is also getting stronger.

Pacha Velicham

In 2022, an officer of the Karimannur police station was dismissed after it was found that official records of the police about RSS leaders had been passed on to Popular Front of India (PFI) terrorists. Initially, Kerala police suspended PK Anas after it was found that the special police officer was leaking information about RSS workers to the Popular Front of India (PFI).

Anas sent those details from his mobile to a childhood friend and a PFI criminal with whom he was in contact. He was handing over details that included addresses, family member details, and exact locations of citizens that Kerala Police themselves had collected as part of a plan to protect them. 

Later, after a similar problem was reported in Munnar, three police officers were transferred. They are accused of leaking vital information stored in the police databank to PFI extremists. The main accused worked in the police data entry department, and the other two were colleagues who helped the main accused. But no further action was taken in the ‘detailed investigation’ of the matter.

A long time ago, intelligence sources pointed to radicalization and mentioned a police officer WhatsApp group known as the Pacha Velicham (Green Light). An (NIA) report from October 2022 verified that 873 terrorists from the Popular Front of India (PFI) had infiltrated the Kerala Police. These sleeper cell police officers have high positions in the state police’s Special Branch, Intelligence, and Law and Order agencies.

Thodupuzha Kanjar Vagamon Belt

Terrorism in the high ranges of Kerala began decades ago. It became public after the banned terrorist organization Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) conducted camps in the region.

SIMI’s proclaimed goal was to “liberate India” by transforming it into an Islamic nation. Extremist group SIMI declared Jihad against Bharat to establish Dar-ul-Islam (the land of Islam) by either forcefully converting everyone to Islam or by violence. SIMI is also the forerunner of the recently banned PFI, and the leadership never changed. While some are in jail, others, like KT Jaleel, joined communist political outfits.

Many years ago, it was reported that Wagamon was a stronghold of anti-nationals. Since their sinister activities were increasing in the area, it was decided to start a police station at Wagamon to monitor the matter and take action. It is now feared that the same terrorists infiltrated Kerala Police and are now running quasi-judicial law enforcement.

There were reports indicating attacks on tourists arriving at the tourist center of Wagamon. Instead of crushing these terror activities, authorities conveniently avoided the region, and tourists shunned Wagamon. It repeated what happened in Kashmir in the 1980-90s.

In May 2018, an NIA special court in Kochi sentenced 18 accused in the sensational case of SIMI running a secret arms training camp at Vagamon from 10 to 12 December 2007. It was a prelude to the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts. The accused persons in the case were also charged in bomb blast cases registered at Ahmedabad, Indore Hubily, and Belgaum.

Terrorists trained in commando and jungle warfare skills, sharpshooting, handling arms, making bombs, rope climbing, and escaping on motorcycles through forest areas. Speeches incited terrorists to wage jihad against Bharat. The PFI/SDPI, too, uses similar tactics.

Forensic evidence collected from Wagamon had confirmed that explosives were used in the camp. The accused were sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment. Seventeen others were acquitted for lack of evidence. The trial was carried out using a multi-point video conferencing system.

In January 2020, Janam TV reported that a terrorist group was seen again near the place where the SIMI arms training camp was held earlier in Wagamon. A group of seven people reached the Simi camp on 17 December. They arrived in a vehicle with Karnataka registration. But the Wagamon police claimed that the number belonged to a lorry in Karnataka.

Locals found the vehicle near the SIMI campsite around 2:30 in the morning. After the locals informed the police, the suspected terrorists escaped with the vehicle before the police arrived. Those in the vehicle told the locals that they had come to pray at the nearby mosque. However, the police claimed that the ‘Hindi-speaking’ group did not reach the mosque.

Earlier, the NIA had found that those who helped when the SIMI camp was held in Wagaman were natives of Idukki and Kanjar. The police handed over a ‘detailed report’ about the Karnataka vehicle to the DGP and the NIA. The central intelligence team has given multiple reports to the state government that terrorist groups are active in the forest areas of Kerala. Why were they not tracked down remains unclear.

Concrete preventive action has never been initiated. Experts allege collusion between police and terror outfits. It is feared that left unchecked, the beautiful mountains of the Western Ghats will soon go down the Kashmir way. There is also a heightened Naxal movement in the high ranges of Kerala.