Amid controversies over the delay in submitting the inquiry report on the allegations that the centuries-old legendary Thrissur Pooram festival was deliberately disrupted by the police in April 2024, Additional Director General of Police(ADGP) M R Ajith Kumar submitted a detailed probe report on the incident to the state police chief.
The report says there was no conspiracy of external forces in the Thrissur Pooram incident. “There was an error on the part of the police officers involved, but there is no evidence of a conspiracy to disrupt the Pooram festival,” Ajith Kumar said in the report submitted to the state police.
The ADGP placed the responsibility for the commotion on the then City Police Commissioner Ankit Asokan. The failure of coordination by City Police Commissioner Ankit Ashokan led to messing up of the Pooram, the report says.
After five months of ordering the investigation, ADGP Ajit Kumar handed over the 600-page investigation report to the DGP on Saturday which caused a lot of political controversy.
The disruption of the Thrissur Pooram has since triggered a political row in the state. The CPI, Congress and the CPI-M-backed independent MLA P V Anvar had alleged that Thrissur Pooram was disrupted on purpose to create a favorable atmosphere for BJP candidate Suresh Gopi in Thrissur. Anvar even went on to say that Ajith Kumar, who was entrusted with conducting the probe, was the brain behind it.
On the day of the Pooram in April 2024, the police reportedly obstructed people carrying palm leaves for elephants and decorative umbrellas intended for the ‘Kudamattam’ ceremony. Thrissur city police Commissioner Ankit Asokan later explained that the police intervened as several individuals attempted to enter the area by carrying palm leaves and umbrellas. Asokan was also accused of ordering a lathi charge on the night of the Pooram.
Coming out against the ADGP’s report, Congress working committee member Ramesh Chennithala said, “Now, we are seeing a ridiculous scene where the person accused of messing up Thrissur Pooram is submitting a report that there is no outside interference in Pooram. No one expected a report beyond this.”
Congress leader K Muralidharan said the investigation report in the Thrissur Pooram disruption is not credible. There should be a judicial inquiry into the incident . There is a political motive behind the mess up in the Pooram, he said.
CPI leader VS Sunilkumar, who was the LDF candidate for the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat, said the ADGP’s investigation report that there was no conspiracy or outside interference in the Thrissur Pooram disruption cannot be accepted. “It is not right to respond publicly without seeing the report officially. There is a conspiracy behind the mess up in Pooram. The report does not reflect it,” Sunil Kumar said.