KOCHI: The Kerala high court on Monday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking an enquiry by a district judge into exploitation of camp followers assigned to senior police officers. It was alleged that camp followers are engaged as house slaves by IPS officers.
A division bench comprising chief justice S Manikumar and justice Shaji P Chaly considered the PIL (WP-C No. 21321/2018) filed by PD Joseph of Thrissur.
The court dismissed the plea on the basis of an affidavit filed by assistant inspector general of police (PG) of police headquarters stating that the government has decided to conduct recruitment of camp followers through Kerala Public Service Commission and special rules for their recruitment and service conditions are being finalized.
Further, the affidavit denied the allegation that camp followers are working like slaves at the houses of IPS officers. “The Camp Followers are not deployed for domestic work of IPS officers, they are deployed to a few of the Camps Offices at the District, Battalions or Ranges only,” the affidavit stated. The duty of camp followers is to undertake camp support and house-keeping activities in police camps and camp offices, the court was told.
Drivers in police department are not camp followers, as stated in the petition, but they are included in technical category, with a separate mode of intake and employment, as per the affidavit.
