Perumbavoor: A Special Branch Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) has been suspended after it was found that his police canteen card was used by a Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) state leader to purchase household items, including a television, from the Perumbavoor police canteen. The SDPI is widely considered the political wing of the now-banned extremist outfit Popular Front of India (PFI). The suspended officer, ASI Salim, was attached to the Intelligence Department.
The incident occurred on April 6, when SDPI state committee member VK Shoukatthali and his associates arrived at the police canteen and purchased a TV using the card issued to ASI Salim. Their activity raised suspicion among the canteen staff, who identified Shoukatthali as a non-police personnel. Upon verification, it was confirmed that the transaction had been made using Salim’s canteen card, even though the officer was not present at the scene.
Rural Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Saxena ordered immediate suspension of ASI Salim after preliminary findings indicated clear misuse of the card, which is strictly restricted to serving police officers and their immediate families.
Following the incident, Shoukatthali claimed that the card was actually used by Salim’s brother, who is a close friend of his. The same explanation was given by the suspended ASI in his statement, asserting that his brother had used the card without his direct knowledge. However, the police department has not taken the justification at face value. Given the sensitive nature of the case and Salim’s role in the Intelligence Department, a comprehensive probe has been launched into his possible links with SDPI and its parent organisation, the banned Popular Front of India (PFI).
The incident has triggered fresh concerns over the alleged political affiliations of some police personnel in Kerala. The relationship between SDPI-PFI and the Kerala Police has previously come under scrutiny, particularly after allegations that certain officers had leaked sensitive information or maintained informal ties with activists of these organisations. In the past, reports of PFI infiltration into state departments, including the police force, have led to public outcry and calls for vigilance.
