Thrissur pooram disruption: Kerala govt orders three-tier reinvestigations

The decision for reinvestigation was taken at the Cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram. A Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by Crime Branch Chief H Venkatesh, will investigate the conspiracy aspect of the Thrissur Pooram disruption and associated crimes.

Intelligence ADGP Manoj Abraham will review any lapses by officials, and DGP Shaikh Darvesh Sahib will investigate the alleged lapses by ADGP M R Ajith Kumar.

Both the Left particularly the CPI and the Congress contend that the disruption of the festival contributed to BJP's first victory in the Lok Sabha polls in Kerala. BJP candidate Suresh Gopi got elected from the Thrissur Lok sabha seat and later became a union minister.

The Congress has alleged a collusion between the CPM and BJP to ensure defeat in the party's sitting seat.

Earlier in the preliminary inquiry, the DGP had found four major lapses on the part of ADGP Ajith Kumar; failure to efficiently supervise Pooram security arrangements, failure to visit the venue and address the matter after Pooram disruption, creating confusion by altering security protocols at the last minute and delaying investigation which should have been completed within a week.

The Thrissur Pooram which is a major festival of Kerala was held on April 19. The disruption had caused widespread resentment among the people especially those in the Thrissur district.

The Left camp believes that the disruption sparked anger towards the LDF Government, a sentiment echoed in the Lok Sabha election outcome. They imply that the BJP's unprecedented parliamentary win in Kerala's Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency can be significantly attributed to the disruption caused in Thrissur Pooram festival. The Congress has accused the festival's disruption of being a deliberate act, resulting from an unsavoury alliance between the CPM and the BJP.

The Chief Minister has denied the allegations made by Congress. Congress must first address the loss of 86,000 votes in the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat. Compared to 2019, the BJP increased its vote count by one lakh. Meanwhile, the Left gained over 10,000 votes, which was insufficient for a win, he said.

Pinarayi mentioned that the government had received a report from the ADGP on September 23, which lacked comprehensiveness. "The actions taken during the Pooram aimed to disrupt Kerala's social harmony and were carried out with a specific intent. The report includes multiple elements that are suspicious. The government is treating this matter with the highest gravity," he added. He also noted that there was a calculated strategy targeting the elections, involving requests for actions that were not legally permissible.