politics

Kerala HC allows detained BJP councillor to take oath inside prison

Published on: 13 Jul 2026, 09:57 AM

The Kerala High Court on Monday (July 13, 2026) permitted R. Sugathan, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councillor from the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, to take his oath of office inside the Viyyur Central Prison in Thrissur. Sugathan is currently under six-month preventive detention under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act (KAAPA).

The oath ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday (July 14, 2026) at 11 a.m. and will be arranged by the Superintendent of Viyyur Central Prison. The Mayor of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation will administer the oath. The court also directed that accredited mediapersons be allowed to attend the ceremony.

Sugathan was among 20 BJP councillors who were earlier directed by the High Court to retake their oaths after a procedural violation during the original ceremony, where the names of local deities were used. While 19 councillors retook their oaths, Sugathan could not because he had been detained under KAAPA by that time.

According to police records, 19 criminal cases have been registered against Sugathan at the Vattiyurkavu and Nedumangad police stations over the years. The cases include charges such as attempted murder, rioting, criminal intimidation, and causing hurt.

Source: The Hindu

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