The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has recommended the bifurcation of the Kazhakuttam police sub-division in order to bring down the incidence of human rights violations in the region.
Commission chairman J.B. Koshy on Monday, delivering the verdict on a case the Commission had registered suo motu, suggested that the creation of a new sub-division based at Pothencode would be appropriate.
The Commission noted that it was receiving several complaints from the Kazhakuttam region and whenever it asked for reports from the Circle Inspector, Kazhakuttam, they got delayed. The Kazhakuttam Circle had four police stations — Kazhakuttam, Kadinamkulam, Mangalapuram and Pothencode — under its limits. However, the Attingal and Venjaramoodu Circles had only two stations each under them.
Crucial areas
With the Kazhakuttam Circle covering crucial areas such as the Technopark, the coastal belt, and the capital city’s suburban areas, the crime rate there was high. One Circle Inspector was not able or adequate to maintain the law-and-order situation there, Mr. Koshy said.
He said the bifurcation of the Kazhakuttam Circle would be the right step to ensure protection of human rights in the area.
The Commission’s recommendations and the verdict had been forwarded to the Home Minister, the Chief Secretary and the Additional Chief Secretary (Home), a statement here said.
Proposal with Ministry
The bifurcation of the Kazhakuttam Circle, interestingly, has been a long-standing demand from the police itself. Proposals from the Police Department, requesting addition of the Kazhakuttam police station to the City police and bifurcation of the sub-division, creating a new one with Pothencode as the base, have been pending with the Home Ministry for several years now.
In fact, the Home Minister himself had announced during a meeting at Technopark on May 29 last year that a decision had already been taken to bring the Kazhakuttam police station under the City police limits. He had said that only procedural formalities were remaining for the same.
The creation of a new sub-division, with either Pothencode or Mangalapuram as the base, would be the next natural step, a senior police official said, adding that all the proposals were still on paper.
Whether the SHRC’s verdict and recommendations would make any difference to the situation remained to be seen, he added.
Four police stations under Kazhakuttam Circle
‘Decision to bring Kazhakuttam under City police’
