Kerala cop’s meeting with RSS leaders was ‘held in closed room with no independent witnesses’, probe finds

Significantly, Kumar’s meeting with RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale in April 2023 and another prominent national leader Ram Madhav in June 2023 has snowballed into a major controversy after BJP won Thrissur Lok Sabha seat in the recent elections. Soon after the results were announced, Congress and LDF ally CPI had alleged that the meeting was part of a conspiracy that led to the “deliberate botching” of the festival and paved the way for BJP’s first-ever win in Thrissur in the Lok Sabha polls held only days later.

The five-member probe was headed by Kerala DGP Shaik Darvesh Saheb.

In its report, the panel said that the RSS meeting in Thrissur attended by Hosable was meant exclusively for the members of that organisation. “In that function, he was neither an invitee nor was the function open to the public. The true purpose of the meeting could not be ascertained’ as it was a closed-door meeting between the two individuals,” the report said.

The probe found that there were allegations that Kumar’s meeting with RSS leaders was meant to seek their assistance in getting the President’s Medal for distinguished service and for the inclusion of his name in the UPSC Select List for the post of the Kerala DGP. “However, the team could not get any evidence to prove or disprove the same. If he met the leaders for such favours, it is a violation of All India Service Rules,” it said.

On his part, Kumar had told the probe team that he had only made a “courtesy call” to both the RSS Leaders and there was no particular purpose for both the meetings. He also stated that he similarly met all prominent leaders who came to the state.

However, the probe report said it’s unclear “why he went to meet Dattatreya Hosabale in Thrissur, by leaving his official car and travelled in a private vehicle of an RSS leader Jayakumar”.

“Since he admitted in his statement that his visit was merely a courtesy call, it is not possible to determine the exact reason for the meeting or what transpired in the meeting, as it was held in a closed room with no other independent witnesses. Hence it could not be confirmed whether it was a courtesy meeting or otherwise,” the report said, adding that the meetings were “neither part of his official duty as ADGP Law and order in dealing with any law-and-order issues nor investigation of any case or as part of any other inquiry”.

“The meetings were also not part of any private/family function in which he was an invitee,” it said.