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Kerala seeks police presence at airports

State Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said that the government would approach the federal government with a proposal in this regard.

Trivandrum — In the wake of the clash between the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel and the Airport Authority of India (AAI) employees at the Karipur international airport, the Kerala government has sought deployment of the state police in all the three airports in the state for maintaining law and order in the airports.

State Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said that the government would approach the federal government with a proposal in this regard. He said the state government was ready to set up even police stations inside the airport.

The move is on the basis of a report submitted by Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence) A Hemachandran that the presence of the Kerala police was necessary in the airports to deal with the rising law and order problems in the state.

The CISF, which was handed over the security of major airports in the country in the wake of the Kandahar Air India flight hijack, has no mandate to deal with the law and order problems in the airports. Law and order is the responsibility of the state police as per the Constitution.

Hemachandran’s report said that the CISF personnel, who come mostly from other states, may also not be able to identify the local criminals entering the airport. The intelligence chief has also pointed out cold war between the CISF and the AAI in the airports.

The clash at the Karipur airport on June 10 was the culmination of simmering dispute over the frisking of AAI employees. It flared up last Wednesday when AAI fire safety officer Ajikumar questioned the excessive frisking