After a section of media carried reports that according to an NIA report, there are at least 873 police personnel in Kerala police with affiliations to the Popular Front of India (PFI), the Kerala police have denied it. The Kerala police on October 4 took to social media and rubbished the report. The Kerala police tweeted saying, “The news that the NIA has handed over a report to the state police chief that 873 personnel of the Kerala Police have links with the banned outfit Popular Front of India is baseless.” The PFI was banned by the Union government last month on September 29.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has also denied the existence of any such report. Speaking to TNM on the condition of anonymity, an NIA officer confirmed that no such information is available with them.
It is however to be noted that there have been several incidents where the Kerala police have acted against their officers for links with the now banned organisation, PFI. In February 2022, a civil police officer (CPO) from the Karimannoor police station in Kerala’s Idukki was terminated from service after he was found guilty of leaking information on Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leaders to their political rivals in the region, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI). The officer, Anas PK, was suspended by the police department in December 2021 over the matter. Anas had reportedly accessed the data collected by the District Crime Records Bureau, which is available only to the police.
In July this year, an Assistant Sub-Inspector with the Kanjirappally Police Station in Kottayam, Ramla Ismail, was suspended for sharing a post of PFI Kerala secretary AA Rauf. In a FaceBook post, Rauf had criticised the Kerala police as well as local courts. An internal investigation was ordered against Ramla and the report found her in violation of police discipline.
In April 2022, two officers, KK Shaiju and AS Joji, with the Kerala Fire and Rescue Services were suspended and three others transferred for allegedly giving training to PFI cadre. The officers had been accused of giving rescue and relief training to members of the PFI. After this, a circular was reportedly issued banning any kind of training for religious and political outfits.