Ajay Kanth By

Express News Service

KOZHIKODE: When it comes to policing, the risk to life faced by Kerala Police personnel is second only to that of their hapless colleagues in volatile Jammu & Kashmir. According to the latest available data from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Kerala is the second state after J&K where the most number of police personnel were injured while on duty.

In 2016, as many as 475 police personnel in Kerala were injured on duty, while the number in J&K was 6,725.

Surprisingly, the number had fallen in 2016 compared to the previous year. Kerala topped the list in 2014 and 2015 with 445 and 575 cases, respectively, while J&K came second with corresponding figures of 360 and 456. State police chief Loknath Behera acknowledges the tough job, saying the police personnel in Kerala face a lot of mob attacks while trying hard to ensure law and order.

“It’s a reality that police personnel come under mob attacks during agitations staged by various outfits in the state. All such incidents are reported to ensure that the department provide appropriate support to the injured police personnel and their families,” he said. The Kerala Police Association and allied welfare units play prominent roles in providing timely relief to the injured personnel, he said. Another senior officer said mob attacks on the police personnel in Kerala were related to political protests and marches and not similar to the organised terror attacks taking place in J&K. “Stone pelting is a major issue. Whether it is in Kerala or Jammu & Kashmir, getting hit by a stone results in grievous injuries,” the officer said.

As per data, the number of police personnel killed while on duty has decreased from seven in 2015 to two in 2016. Police officers said traffic-related incidents were another major reason that result in the death of police personnel. In March a policeman was killed and two others were injured at Kulakkada near Kottarakkara when a truck driver lost control of his vehicle and ran over a group of cops.

In 2016, as many as 475 police personnel in Kerala were injured on duty, while the number in J&K was 6,725. Kerala topped the list in 2014 and 2015 with 445 and 575 cases, respectively, while J&K came second with corresponding figures of 360 and 456.