Police remove vehicle used as ‘makeshift station’ from outside Pinarayi Vijayan’s Kannur residence, but guards continue duty

A police vehicle functioning as a makeshift ‘police station’ outside Keralam Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan’s residence at Pandyalmukku in Pinarayi, Kannur, has been removed, but the police personnel deployed for security duty have not been withdrawn.

The police vehicle had been stationed outside Pinarayi Vijayan’s residence but became unserviceable after it could no longer be started. Police personnel from the Armed Reserve camp arrived around midnight on Wednesday and towed the vehicle away.

The vehicle was originally deployed after Mr. Vijayan became Chief Minister, when people began visiting the residence to see it and shoot videos. Two SIs and six civil officers from the Kannur AR camp have been performing security duty in shifts, with one SI and two police officers deployed at a time.

The makeshift station set up besides the compound wall along the roadside had long lacked even basic facilities. Police personnel had no proper arrangements for rest or toilet facilities. They initially depended on neighboring houses for access to toilets. The situation improved after a new police station was opened at Pinarayi, about 800 meters from Mr. Vijayan’s residence.

Though an outhouse exists at the residence, the police personnel on duty were not permitted to use its facilities. The removal of the vehicle without an alternative arrangement has made their working conditions more difficult, particularly during rain and at night. The personnel could earlier take shelter inside the vehicle during rain.

Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala had said during his visit to Kannur last month that a decision on replacing or removing the police vehicle would be taken following a review by the State Security Commission. Kannur City Police Commissioner Vijay Bharat Reddy said the vehicle was removed following the commission’s review. He said the police personnel would have resting facilities at the Pinarayi police station.