Supreme Court approves Kerala’s plan to hand over open prison campus land to BrahMos
The State argued that the decision would directly bolster national security and the defence manufacturing ecosystem.
The State argued that the decision would directly bolster national security and the defence manufacturing ecosystem.
The State argued that the decision would directly bolster national security and the defence manufacturing ecosystem.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday approved the Kerala government’s plan to hand over a large portion of the Nettukaltheri open prison campus in Thiruvananthapuram to BrahMos Aerospace Trivandrum Limited (BATL), a move that will place a missile production hub next to a facility housing inmates.
The State informed the court that the land transfer to BATL, a unit under the Defence Research and Development Organisation, is meant to support the company’s expansion, including a new manufacturing line for sophisticated missiles and strategic defence equipment. The State argued that the decision would directly bolster national security and the defence manufacturing ecosystem. Accepting this reasoning, the Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta endorsed the proposal after considering a favourable report from amicus curiae, senior advocate K Parameshwar.
Under the plan, 257 acres of the 457-acre campus will be carved up among three central agencies. BATL will receive 180 acres, the Sashastra Seema Bal will get 45 acres for establishing a battalion headquarters, and 32 acres will be earmarked for setting up a campus of the National Forensic Science University.
The Nettukaltheri open prison, created in 1964 on leased land, has undergone several reallocations over the years. Of the original 487 acres, 12 acres were transferred to the Kerala Institute of Co-operative Management in 2001, and another 16 acres went to the State’s Dairy Development Department in 2022. A proposal is also pending to give one acre to the Thiruvananthapuram District Panchayat for a faecal sludge treatment plant.
Kerala told the court that the prison actually uses less than 100 acres for its essential functions, with the remaining land deployed for revenue-generating activities such as plantations. The State also highlighted that hosting an SSB battalion headquarters in Kerala meets a longstanding demand of the Ministry of Home Affairs and would bring permanent deployment of a central armed police force to the State, improving security preparedness while creating jobs and supporting local development.
The planned forensic university is expected to house advanced facilities including cyber defence units and forensic innovation labs, offering specialised training for policing, security agencies and technical sectors, as well as high-quality career opportunities for students.