IPS officer facing allegation over Thrissur Pooram disruption gives clean chit to himself

Thiruvananthapuram: A police inquiry report denied the allegations that a conspiracy was hatched to create disruption at this year's Thrissur pooram festival.

The inquiry was conducted by Additional DGP M R Ajithkumar who himself was facing allegations of being part of the conspiracy. CPI, which is the second largest party in the ruling front, as well as the opposition Congress rejected the inquiry findings.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had ordered the probe in April after excessive police restrictions had allegedly led to the disruption of the Thrissur Pooram. Recently, CPM-backed independent MLA P V Anvar alleged that Ajithkumar was part of the "conspiracy" to create disruption at the famed temple festival "so as to give electoral advantage to the BJP" in the Lok Sabha polls in Thrissur. BJP had won the Thrissur seat, which was the saffron party's maiden seat to the Lok Sabha from Kerala.

According to sources, Ajithkumar submitted a report to the state police on Saturday stating that there were no deliberate attempts by the police to disrupt the conduct of Thrissur pooram. The report was also learnt to have put the blame on the then Thrissur city police commissioner Ankit Ashok for "lapses" in coordinating the security arrangements.

Opposition leader V D Satheesan of the Congress said that the inquiry report was a farce as it was done by an IPS officer facing allegations. He also demanded a judicial probe into the issues over the Thrissur pooram.

CPI leader V S Sunilkumar, the left-front candidate at Thrissur who lost to BJP's Suresh Gopi in the Lok Sabha polls, also rejected the inquiry finding.

Accusations of the ADGP's meeting with RSS leaders also aggravated the allegations of conspiracy to disrupt the pooram.