Kerala High Court Halts Community Policing at Iconic Sabarimala Temple
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Synopsis
The Kerala High Court has ordered the cessation of the 'Punyam Poonkavanam Project', a community policing initiative at the Sabarimala shrine, due to unauthorized fundraising activities. The project aimed to maintain cleanliness and involved various stakeholders, including devotees and police.
Key Takeaways
- Kerala High Court cancels community policing project.
- The Punyam Poonkavanam Project began in 2011.
- Unauthorized fund collection was reported.
- State government instructed to take action.
- Sabarimala is a major pilgrimage site.
Kochi, Feb 28 (NationPress) The Kerala High Court has officially terminated the 'Punyam Poonkavanam Project', a community policing initiative designed for the area surrounding the historic Sabarimala shrine in the Pathanamthitta district.
This initiative, launched in 2011, aimed to maintain cleanliness in the temple town and encouraged collaboration among devotees, law enforcement, and various government sectors.
A division bench consisting of Justices Anil K. Narendran and S. Muralee Krishna made this ruling following a preliminary police report that uncovered unauthorized fundraising activities by the project's coordinator.
The court also instructed the state government to take necessary measures based on the findings of the police report.
According to the strategy formulated by the Kerala Police for the 2022-23 Sabarimala festival, designated officers and police coordinators were tasked with supporting and organizing the project.
The suo motu case was initiated after a report from the Kottayam police chief to the Special Commissioner of the temple indicated that the project's coordinator had been collecting funds unlawfully at Erumeli, as expressed in a letter from March 2023.
Following an investigation, it was confirmed that donations were solicited from devotees under the guise of the project without the necessary authorization.
Upon hearing this, the court was appalled by the fundraising practices directed at devotees and ordered the cessation of the project.
Situated at an elevation of 914 meters in the Western Ghats, the Sabarimala temple draws millions of pilgrims annually.
Located around four kilometers uphill from the Pamba River, this temple stands as one of India's most significant pilgrimage sites.
Devotees observe a rigorous 41-day penance prior to the pilgrimage, which includes fasting, donning black dhotis, refraining from footwear, and adhering to a vegetarian diet.
A vital custom involves carrying an ‘Irumudi’, a prayer kit that includes coconuts, which must be broken before ascending the temple’s 18 sacred steps.
Without the Irumudi, pilgrims are prohibited from climbing the steps leading to the sanctum sanctorum.
