Kochi, Sep 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Kerala High Court on Tuesday quashed the state government's decision to dissolve the Kerala Police Officers Association (KPOA), holding that the government had no power to restructure recognised police associations in a manner that interfered with the constitutional rights of their members.
A bench of Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas held that the freedom to form associations guaranteed under Article 19(1)(c) of the Constitution also includes the freedom to continue an association and preserve its composition.
"The freedom to form an association and freedom to continue the association are both facets of Article 19(1)(c) of the Constitution," he said.
The ruling came on petitions challenging a government order issued on July 27, 2026, restructuring the associations representing different ranks of police personnel.
The order abolished the KPOA and retained the Kerala Police Association (KPA) and Kerala Police Senior Officers Association (KPSOA) in a reorganised form.
The government had also ordered that the assets of the KPOA, including its bank accounts, documents, deposits, investments, rights and liabilities, be distributed between the two remaining associations in a 60:40 ratio.
Ad hoc committees were also appointed to handle administrative functions, with elections to the newly constituted associations scheduled to be held by September 30.
The High Court found that the government's action was contrary to the position taken by the state police chief earlier this year.
In a proposal dated January 17, the state police chief had recommended retaining all three associations with only limited changes to their composition.
The proposal did not call for the abolition of any of the associations.
The court noted that the recognition granted to the police associations had not been withdrawn either by the state police chief or the government.
It held that the government could not therefore interfere with the structure of the recognised associations.
The court also found that the government had altered the membership structure of the KPA contrary to its bye-laws and interfered with the membership and assets of the KPOA without the consent of its members.
The government order was consequently set aside along with the subsequent orders constituting the ad hoc committees.
The judgment effectively restores the position of the police associations that existed before the government's restructuring order.
Source: IANS
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