Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday warned police officers against associating with persons of questionable reputation.
Chairing a Statewide meeting of law and order officers via videoconference, Mr. Vijayan said criminally inclined individuals often attempted to cultivate law enforcers for their illegal purposes.
Officers should be careful not to lend such persons legitimacy by associating with them. They should shun organisations, persons and functions not cleared by the State Police Intelligence. Ideally, officers should not attend private functions in uniform.
Recent controversy
Mr. Vijayan’s comments came against the backdrop of photographs and videos of ranking officers socialising with an alleged “peddler of fake antiquities,” Monson Mavunkal, going viral on mainstream and social media.
Honeytrap cases
Instances of officers getting ensnared in honeytrap cases had dented the public standing of the force. So had nexus of some officers with organised crime. District Police Chiefs (DPCs) should ensure their respective jurisdiction was corruption-free, he said.
Mr. Vijayan said the police operated under the public glare. They should not provide ammunition to those who seek to discredit the force. Officers should distance themselves from events that could draw public censure. The government would not brook abusive behaviour and custodial deaths.
Praise too
Mr. Vijayan praised the police for the selfless service rendered during the pandemic and natural disasters. The State police had an impeccable investigative track record. Officers should be mindful that poor judgement could affect the department’s image.
Mr. Vijayan also slammed entities that constantly seek to blame the police. He called for better oversight of the force, and DPCs should personally look into complaints against subordinate officers.
Senior officers should take station house inspections seriously. The police should not delay charge sheets. SPC Anil Kanth, ADGPs Manoj Abraham, K. Padmakumar, S. Sreejith were among those present.
