THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Attukal Pongala has caught the police and the government on the wrong foot. The police on Wednesday last registered a case against around 1,000 devotees, who offered Pongala, for obstructing traffic on the main road and violating High Court order. But Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, who came to know of it on Monday, ordered immediate withdrawal of the case. Within hours, the DGP, after a preliminary inquiry, suspended Thiruvananthapuram Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) V C Mohanan. The cases were registered by Fort S I, A K Sherry and Thampanoor SI R Sivakumar. “It might have created tension if the women were arrested or the hearths were removed. So a case was registered after returning to the station as per IPC 283 and 188,’’ said the FIR which was submitted to the Chief Judicial First Class Magistrate Court- II here on Thursday, March 8.The DGP in his report stated that it was on the orders from the DCP that the SIs registered the cases. Chandy told reporters at Kottayam that the police had committed a mistake by registering a case against the devotees. “I openly admit that it was a mistake. Action against the two Sub-Inspectors will follow. The government has a clear stand on Attukal Pongala which is being held every year. A direction has been given to withdraw the FIR,” said Chandy who rejected the charge of any conspiracy behind the action of the police officers. However, legal experts said that it is not possible for the government to withdraw the case at once. “There are only two options left. The government can file a refer report in the court stating that the case would not stand because of the mistake of facts or can charge a case and withdraw it with the permission of the court,” noted lawyer, Cherunniyur Sasidharan Nair told Express.
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