Gau Matha Pooja held in Kerala jail: ADGP
- ADGP recommended strict action against jail superintendent
- Ten cows were accepted as donation and a cow worship was performed on jail premises
- The issue became a controversy after V S Achuthanandan alleged involvement of RSS in the issue
FollowAn inquiry conducted by Jail ADGP R Sreelekha has confirmed reports of cow worship rite held at Cheemeni Open Jail in Kasargod. The report is contrary to the one filed by DIG Prisons, Sivadas Thaiparambil and recommended strict action against jail superintendent A G Suresh.
The Jail ADGP has filed her report with Additional Chief Secretary, Home Affairs, and has found that accepting the donation in the form of the cow and conducting religious rituals in jail is against the law. Jail DIG had in his report filed with Sreelekha has mentioned that the prisoners had not participated in the ritual. He had also found that there is nothing wrong in accepting cows as a donation and it was the organisers who raised slogans of 'gau matha ki jai.' The DIG had also found that Superintendent did not flout norms and did not commit any wrong in the issue.
Though Special Branch had reported that a seer, who is involved in a controversy and is jailed at Poojapura Central Prison, was also present at the Cheemeni jail on the occasion DIG did not investigate that aspect. He had initiated a probe following an e-mail charge memo from Jail ADGP who had accused Suresh of committing a grievous lapse.
Acceptance of ten cows, two from an ashram in Karnataka and eight from a club at Cheruvathoor had become a controversy after Administrative Reforms Commission Chairperson V S Achuthanandan described it as a ploy of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to saffronise jails.
