Special team to look for Islamist spies in Kerala Police

Newly constituted special unit ISIT (Internal Security Investigation Team) of the Kerala Police will look into reports that Islamist spies have infiltrated the police force.

In connection with this, the ISIT has reportedly asked the police for all the files related to cases charged under provisions concerning anti-national activities and extremism in the case of the Islamist attack on Prof TJ Joseph of Newman College, Thodupuzha.

Additional Director General of Police Sibi Mathews, who is also the head of ISIT, is said to have instructed T Vikram, Superintendent of Police (Rural), Ernakulam, to hand over the files to the special team. Vikram is presently handling this case.

There were reports that the police’s wireless messages had been leaked through mobile phones during the time of the controversy in Thodupuzha over the allegedly blasphemous question paper that Prof Joseph had set, which had led to the PFI attack on him on July 4. Five police personnel, including two women, are suspected to have connections with the PFI.

According to reports, though these five personnel have already been transferred on the basis of an inquiry held by the Intelligence wing of the police, the ISIT feels that detailed probe is needed to establish their connections with the Popular Front. It is said that the woman police personnel had leaked the wireless messages by keeping mobiles phones near the walkie-talkie sets.

Reports also say that the husband of one of these women cops is a Popular Front activist, according to the findings of a preliminary probe. The ISIT has already collected the call details of the mobiles of these women cops and the recipients of the leaked messages.

The special investigation team, whose main concern is extremism-linked incidents, will this week start probing the four cases it has already taken over. These cases are part of the 19 cases registered by the Kerala Police in connection with the attack in which the Islamists cut off the professor’s right hand for preparing a question paper that allegedly blasphemed Prophet Muhammad.

These cases relate to the recovery of suspected Islamist campaign material and anti-national literature in raids from the houses of Popular Front leaders and activists. According to sources, the ISIT is also planning to take over the probe on the case relating to some SIM cards organized through false identity papers.

Responses