The Kerala High Court on Friday halted the 'Punyam Poonkavanam Project' at Sabarimala, a community policing endeavour being carried on in the hill shrine premises since 2011..A Division Bench of Justices Anil K Narendran and Muralee Krishna S passed the order after a preliminary police report revealed unauthorised collection of funds by the co-ordinator of the project. The Court today also directed the State government to take appropriate action based on the police report..The 'Punyam Poonkavanam Project', being implemented at Sabarimala since 2011, is a community policing program aimed at maintaining cleanliness at sannidhanam, Pampa and surrounding areas.The project involved the active participation of devotees, the police and other government departments.As per the bundobust scheme prepared by the Kerala police for the 2022-23 Sabarimala festival season, special officers and police controllers were responsible for assisting and coordinating with the project..The suo motu case was initiated after the Kottayam District Police Chief informed the Special Commissioner about the alleged unauthorised fund collection by the project's co-ordinator at Erumeli through a letter dated March 8, 2023.During the subsequent hearings, the senior government pleader had informed the Court that an inquiry had already been initiated by the District Police Chief, Kottayam, as per the directions of the Chief Police Co-ordinator, Sabarimala.The Court had then directed the Chief Police Co-ordinator and the Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) to conduct a detailed inquiry and submit a preliminary report.On February 28, 2024, the Court reviewed the interim preliminary enquiry report which revealed that money was being collected from devotees under the name of the project without proper authorisation..The Court expressed shock over the collection of funds from the devotees in the name of the project and ordered the State to stop the project. It also directed the government to take necessary action based on the findings of the police report..[Read Order]
The Kerala High Court on Friday halted the 'Punyam Poonkavanam Project' at Sabarimala, a community policing endeavour being carried on in the hill shrine premises since 2011..A Division Bench of Justices Anil K Narendran and Muralee Krishna S passed the order after a preliminary police report revealed unauthorised collection of funds by the co-ordinator of the project. The Court today also directed the State government to take appropriate action based on the police report..The 'Punyam Poonkavanam Project', being implemented at Sabarimala since 2011, is a community policing program aimed at maintaining cleanliness at sannidhanam, Pampa and surrounding areas.The project involved the active participation of devotees, the police and other government departments.As per the bundobust scheme prepared by the Kerala police for the 2022-23 Sabarimala festival season, special officers and police controllers were responsible for assisting and coordinating with the project..The suo motu case was initiated after the Kottayam District Police Chief informed the Special Commissioner about the alleged unauthorised fund collection by the project's co-ordinator at Erumeli through a letter dated March 8, 2023.During the subsequent hearings, the senior government pleader had informed the Court that an inquiry had already been initiated by the District Police Chief, Kottayam, as per the directions of the Chief Police Co-ordinator, Sabarimala.The Court had then directed the Chief Police Co-ordinator and the Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) to conduct a detailed inquiry and submit a preliminary report.On February 28, 2024, the Court reviewed the interim preliminary enquiry report which revealed that money was being collected from devotees under the name of the project without proper authorisation..The Court expressed shock over the collection of funds from the devotees in the name of the project and ordered the State to stop the project. It also directed the government to take necessary action based on the findings of the police report..[Read Order]
