Police security for ex-judge goes; Decision not ours, say cops

A retired judge of the Kerala High Court on Saturday said the police in the state have abruptly withdrawn security but the police denied any role in the decision which, they said, was taken at the home secretary- level.

Four armed police guards were deputed for the former judge's personal security as he had been vocal against the CPI(M)-led LDF governments alleged failure in handling various cases, sources said here.

When contacted, he told PTI that the decision was taken at the Home Secretary-level on Friday.

"The police personnel left me ending their service today (Saturday)," he said.

The retired judge said the security was withdrawn at a time when he was facing threat from Islamic states terror operatives in Kerala.

Justice Kemal Pasha said he was given armed police security after the investigating agencies found he was one of the targets of the people arrested in connection with 2016 Kanakamala IS terror module case.

He alleged the security was withdrawn for raising his voice against the policies of the government over various issues, including the alleged killing of four Maoists in an encounter by police in Attappadi recently.

However, the former judge said he would continue to protest what he called were wrong policies of the government.

"I had pointed out the failure of the police system in handling the alleged sexual assault and murder of two minor sisters in Walayar in Palakkad district in 2017. It was the because of the failure of the police and prosecution the accused in the sensational case were acquitted," he said.

"I had also criticised the arrest of two students in Kozhikode under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA)," he said.

The Kerala Police Association rejected Justice Kemal Pasha's allegations, saying it has no role in the decision taken by the Home Secretary-level security review committee.

"We respect Justice Kemal Pasha. We often invite him to our conferences. We like his criticism against us. But the police association has no role in deciding who should be given security and whose security should be withdrawn," the general secretary of the association C R Biju told PTI.