Kerala: Minister gets stuck in traffic snarl, SP suspends 3 cops

KOLLAM: Three policemen attached to Sooranad police station were suspended from service after fisheries minister J Mercykutty Amma got stuck in a traffic jam on Thursday.
Mercykutty Amma was on her way to Kollam from Pathanamthitta after attending the Independence Day celebrations when she got stuck in the traffic jam in front of an auditorium at Mayyathunkara, Poruvazhi.As there was a wedding reception at the auditorium, several vehicles, including a tourist bus, were parked on the roadside causing the traffic snarl. The minister’s vehicle got stuck there for nearly 20 minutes. Citing lapses on the security of the minister, rural SP S Harisankar suspended senior CPO Harilal, CPO Rajesh and rural special branch ASI Nukrdudeen on Friday.
The SP was also there when the minister got stranded in the traffic. He was returning after visiting the relief camps set up for flood-affected people at Sooranad. The minister complained to the SP about the inconvenience caused to her.
However, when contacted the minister said she had not instructed any police official to initiate action against the cops. “I got stranded for over 20 minutes. A tourist bus was parked on a narrow road causing the traffic snarl for over one kilometre. It was the first time that I am getting stranded for such a long time for a silly thing,” she said. “In fact, SP Harisankar was behind my vehicle and he could understand the situation on his own,” she added.