Amidst protests over two motorcycle borne youths trespassing on to the trek route to Sabarimala from Pampa last month, the Sabarimala Special Commissioner has sought to notify these locations as special security zones all-round the year.
In his report to the Kerala High Court, M. Manoj, Sabarimala Special Commissioner and district judge, submitted that the incident pointed to security lapses at Sabarimala, Nilackal, and Pampa, marked as special security zones during the annual pilgrimage season. He sought to notify Pampa and Sabarimala as special security zones under Section 83 of the Kerala Police Act all-round the year.
He also requested for directives to the State Police Chief for investigating security lapses at the Pampa guard room and the forest check-post that resulted in the trespass.
The report says there is no proper system to verify the goods being transported in tractors to the Sannidhanam. Hence, the possibility of miscreants transporting hazardous and prohibited articles to the Sannidhanam cannot be ruled out.
“It is an eye-opener for the guards of the Forest Department, Travancore Devaswom Board, and the Kerala Police to be more vigilant. The possibility of miscreants trespassing to the Sabarimala Sannidhanam to commit clandestine operations cannot be ruled out if security is not vigilant and alert,” it says.
The report calls for directives for a joint check-post of the Police and the Forest Departments with a guard room facility, barricades, and CCTV network ahead of the Triveni bridge at Pampa-Triveni. Only vehicles of constitutional dignitaries, melsanthis, TDB, and other departments shall be permitted beyond the bridge after verification.
It also calls for a loading point at Pampa with CCTV network, under surveillance of the Police and the Forest Departments, from where goods are loaded into tractors to the Sannidhanam.
Two youths from Chittar in Pathanamthitta, identified as Sreejith and Jibin Varghese, on a motorcycle had bypassed the forest check-post and the TDB guard room near Pampa Ganapathy Temple and trespassed into Swami Ayyappan Road on September 26 evening. They, however, were intercepted by forest officials at Paramada on Chandrananden Road. They were booked under Section 27(1) e (IV) 252 of the Kerala Forest Act and released on bail.
