Kerala Home Dept Cancels Letter Linked To Jailed BJP Councillor's Six-Month Leave Plea

The Kerala Home Department has cancelled a communication that was relied upon to facilitate six months' leave for jailed BJP councillor R Sugathan, according to an official order Sugathan, a councillor from the Vazhottukonam ward of the BJP-ruled Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, is currently lodged in the Central Prison and Correctional Home at Viyyur in Thrissur under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act (KAAPA).

The Corporation council's act of granting six months' leave to the jailed Councillor citing a Home Department communication triggered a political row in the state recently with Opposition CPI(M) alleging a secret understanding between the UDF and the BJP behind it.

In a letter sent to Sugathan on August 6, the Home Department said its earlier communication issued in response to his leave plea stood cancelled after the Local Self Government Department (LSGD) withdrew the note on which it had been based.

The letter clarified that the government had, through a July 13 communication, rejected Sugathan's application for escort parole. Subsequently, another reply was issued on July 20 based on a note received from the LSGD. However, the LSGD later informed the Home Department that the note had been cancelled.

"In these circumstances, the matter was examined in detail and the reply issued on July 20, 2026, is hereby cancelled. The earlier communication rejecting the escort parole application shall continue to remain in force," the letter said.

The cancellation comes days after the state government suspended Local Self Government Department's Under Secretary Dr Chithra P Arunima, a Kerala Administrative Service (KAS) officer, pending an inquiry into alleged irregularities in processing the file related to granting benefits to Sugathan.

According to the suspension order, the officer allegedly made unauthorised alterations and additions to the official file to facilitate benefits that were not legally admissible to a person under preventive detention under the KAAPA.

The order alleged that she overrode notings in the file, which had stated there was no legal provision to grant escort parole to a KAAPA detainee, and disregarded directions issued at the levels of the department minister and secretary.

The controversy erupted after the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Council approved Sugathan's application for six months' leave, enabling him to retain his councillorship.

The mayor had defended the decision, saying it was based on a Home Department communication indicating that Sugathan could continue as councillor if the council sanctioned his leave.

The issue triggered a political row, prompting Local Self Government Minister K M Shaji to announce that the government was examining the circumstances under which the communication had been issued.

The minister had maintained that extending such a benefit to a person under preventive detention was a serious matter and asserted that the department had recommended against granting such relief.