With Reports Of More Kerala Cops Languishing As Orderlies Surface, CM Calls For Top Officials Meet Tuesday

Many more incidents of orderlies or “camp followers” of the Kerala police have begun to come out in the open after a police official’s daughter allegedly assaulted his official driver. Worried over the fall-out of more such revelations, State Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has called for a meeting of top officials in Thiruvananthapuram Tuesday (19 June), reported Malayalam daily Mathrubhumi.

During the weekend, more reports of such “camp followers” being asked to bathe police officers dog and cook meat for the pets in police canteen have surfaced. There have been cases where senior police officers have taken these “camp followers” with them when they are transferred to other cities or posts.

The leak of these incidents began after Gavaskar, the policeman who was the official driver for additional director general of police Sudesh Kumar, complained to police that Kumar’s daughter roughed him up for being late to pick her up after her morning walk. The police official’s daughter, in turn, filed a complaint that Gavaskar attempted to outrage her modesty.

Kumar was later transferred from the post.

With Vijayan calling for a meeting, Kerala Director General of Police Loknath Behera has ordered his officials to provide statistics on the number of policemen being deployed as “camp followers”. These policemen are likely to be called back to active service. A survey is also being done on the policemen deployed as assistants to ministers, politicians, judges and other government officials.