Police remove vehicle used as ‘makeshift station’ from outside Pinarayi Vijayan's Kannur residence, but guards continue duty

A police vehicle that had been serving as an improvised police station outside the residence of Kerala's Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan in Kannur has been removed, but the security personnel assigned for guard duty remain in place. The vehicle, which had become inoperable after it could no longer start, was towed away by police personnel from the Armed Reserve camp around midnight on Wednesday.

It had been stationed outside the residence since Vijayan became Chief Minister, with people visiting it to take photos and record videos. Two Sub-Inspectors and six civil officers from the Kannur AR camp had been providing security in shifts, with one SI and two police officers on duty at any given time. The makeshift station, positioned near the compound wall along the roadside, had been lacking even basic amenities, with personnel having no proper arrangements for rest or toilet facilities.

They had previously relied on neighboring houses for access to toilets. The situation improved after a new police station was opened at Pinarayi, roughly 800 meters from Vijayan's residence. However, the removal of the vehicle without providing an alternative has made their working conditions more challenging, especially during rain and at night, as they could previously take shelter inside the vehicle.

Kannur City Police Commissioner Vijay Bharat Reddy stated that the vehicle was removed following the State Security Commission's review, and that the police personnel would now have resting facilities at the Pinarayi police station.