Kerala CM orders reinvestigation of Thrissur Pooram disruption

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan ordered a comprehensive three-tier reinvestigation into the disruption of the Thrissur Pooram festival, on Thursday, 3 October. The announcement was made during a cabinet meeting ahead of the Kerala Assembly session, set to begin on 4 October.

The chief minister underscored the necessity of ensuring that the Thrissur Pooram festival proceeds smoothly and without interruption in future, outlining several key decisions made by the cabinet.

A special investigation team (SIT) will now probe the possibility of a conspiracy behind the disruption of the festival in April this year, and related criminal activities. The team will be headed by H. Venkatesh, additional director general of police (ADGP), crime branch.

Additionally, ADGP Manoj Abraham, head of the Intelligence Bureau, has been tasked with examining any lapses in the official organisation of the festival. Meanwhile, director-general of police (DGP) S. Darvesh Sahib will investigate alleged failures by ADGP Ajith Kumar, who was in charge of law and order during the festival.

At a press briefing following the cabinet meeting, the chief minister reaffirmed the significance of Thrissur Pooram in Kerala’s cultural heritage. "The government is committed to ensuring that the festival is conducted in an exemplary manner. This year's Pooram coincided with the Lok Sabha elections, and any suggestion of a deliberate attempt to disrupt it is being taken with the utmost seriousness.

"The investigation led by ADGP Venkatesh was initiated based on a report submitted to me on 24 September. While the report covered several aspects, it was not comprehensive enough to be considered conclusive," he said.

Despite the ongoing investigations and the controversies surrounding Ajith Kumar, including allegations raised by Nilambur MLA P.V. Anwar regarding Ajith Kumar's meetings with senior RSS leaders, the government has decided that he will continue in his current position.

State additional chief secretary (home and vigilance) Bishwanath Sinha had earlier recommended a reinvestigation into the disruption, after reviewing the DGP’s report. In his findings, DGP Darvesh Sahib had criticised Ajith Kumar for several lapses in his supervision of the Pooram’s security arrangements, highlighting four key failures:

1. Failed to oversee Thrissur Pooram security despite being deployed to Thrissur

2. Did not visit event site or address security issues after the disruption

3. Created confusion by changing security protocols at the last minute

4. Delayed the investigation which should have been concluded within a week

The DGP also recommended that further investigations be conducted to explore the possibility of a conspiracy behind the disruption.

The incident occurred on 19 April during the Pooram festival, when the traditional fireworks display, one of the main attractions, had to be rescheduled to daylight hours, in a departure from the usual midnight timing. The disruption also led to disciplinary action against the city police commissioner and assistant commissioner. Media reports suggest Ajith Kumar’s initial investigation ruled out any external interference, but the cabinet has now moved to expand the scope of the inquiry.

Responding to the controversy surrounding remarks attributed to him about Malappuram, the chief minister clarified that the statements reported by the Hindu on 30 September were not part of the responses he had given during the interview. He further denied ever hiring a public relations agency to assist with the interview.

The controversy emerged after the Hindu published a clarification that the anti-Malappuram remarks in the interview had been suggested by a PR agency.