Kerala ADGP Ajith Kumar submits explanation to State Police Chief over tractor ride to Sabarimala Sannidhanam

Two days after the Kerala High Court termed the act of Kerala Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) M.R. Ajith Kumar travelling on a tractor of the police from Pampa to a spot near the Sabarimala Sannidhanam last week as “unfortunate”, Mr. Kumar on Friday submitted a letter to the State Police Chief (SPC) stating that he boarded the tractor since he was “tired while climbing the trekking path.”

R. Jayakrishnan, Sabarimala Special Commissioner, had informed the court that the ADGP had expressly violated the court directive not to allow people to use tractors meant for transportation of goods to the Sannidhanam.

The officer and his security officer boarded the Kerala Police tractor, which was driven by Vivek, a driver of the Thiruvalla police station, from Chelikuzhi Bhagom (first curve) on July 12 and proceeded up to Cherippukada Bhagom, near the Sannidhanam, and returned the next day on the same vehicle, according to the report.

The court noted that the officer walked along the route till the area covered by CCTV and the rest of the stretch by tractor. The restriction on the use of tractors in the corridor was imposed following reports that tractors were being driven in a rash and negligent manner along the crowded trekking path towards the temple, a Division Bench of Justices Anil K. Narendran and S. Muralee Krishna said while hearing a suo motu proceeding.

Following this, the State Police Chief had sought an explanation from the ADGP on the incident.