Kerala HC raps state government for ‘cop excesses’ at Sabarimala

KOCHI: Hours after sudden protests by devotees at Sabarimala on Sunday, which culminated in the arrest of some 50 agitators, Kerala high court on Monday slammed the state government by coming down heavily on police excesses at the hill shrine. The HC pointed out that in the name of implementing the Supreme Court verdict — on entry of women of all age groups at Lord Ayyappa temple — police cannot harass ordinary pilgrims and deny them their rights.

A division bench slammed the police for pumping water in nadappanthal (the massive covered hall just outside the shrine where pilgrims rest) and other places to prevent devotees from assembling there, and said that police “should normally be confined to their barracks instead of trespassing into spaces reserved for pilgrims”. The bench was considering a petition on ‘atrocities’ against devotees.


Late on Sunday night, there were impromptu protests by around 200 people at Sannidhanam for being asked to vacate the area and go back all the way to Pamba as soon as the temple closed, which would have prevented them from doing the neyyabhishekam (crucial ritual involving ghee offerings). The HC said no devotee who has purchased tickets for neyyabhishekam should be driven away from Sannidhanam without being able to perform the ritual.


Meanwhile, CM Pinarayi Vijayan said those who were arrested were not devotees but troublemakers who were part of a plan. “A group of RSS activists had reached Sabarimala and were camping there to create trouble while many were on the way. Their objective was to create unrest in Sabarimala as they did during the Chithira Atta Vishesham and during the previous occasion,” he said.