Thiruvananthapuram: Two police officers in the Kerala capital who expressed their inability to join the Chief Minister’s one-month 'salary challenge' allegedly received threatening phone calls from a superior officer who is a self-confessed CPM sympathiser.
The sub-inspector, who collected the list of personnel who refused to donate their one-month salary to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) for flood relief, allegedly threatened them with dire consequences.
Fifty officers attached to the Thunderbolt Commando Force, who chose to part with salary, were also reportedly pressured and harassed by their higher-ups to change their decision. It is alleged that the pressure tactics were employed by senior officers as per the directions of the Kerala Police Association and the Kerala Police Officers Association.
Although most of the cops requested their superiors to exempt them from the drive since they too had borne the brunt of the flood, the latter turned a deaf ear to their pleas, sources revealed.
It was also learnt that strict instructions have been issued to the officials heading the Thodupuzha, Kattappana and Munnar sub-divisions in Idukki district to raise Rs 1.5 crore towards the CMDRF. According to sources, directions in this regard were issued by DySPs attached to these sub-divisions to their subordinates on Saturday.
The move is to raise the amount by collecting money from quarry and sand mafia as well as illegal moneylenders operating within their jurisdiction limits. Each sub-division has been directed to contribute at least Rs 50 lakh to the CMDRF. However, a section of the staff has expressed displeasure over the move to collect money from shady characters.
A couple of days ago, the Idukki district police chief had sent out a wireless message to officers in the district who were not ready to donate their one-month salary to the CMDRF to appear in person at his office and give an explanation.
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