ISIS recruitment present in Kerala, no regrets on Maoist hunt, says DGP

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: There is ISIS recruitment in Kerala, said DGP Lokanath Behera. Kerala is targeting recruitment of terrorist organizations and communalizing even the educated, he said in an interview to a channel.

‘The terrorist links of Malayalees are a matter of concern. Several attempts were made to prevent individuals from being trapped by the terrorist groups. As a result, concerns are now declining. Cannot say what the attempts were,’ he said.

Behera also reacted on the Maoist hunt during the tenure of the previous government. No regrets on it and we just did our work. Behera said they were given the opportunity to surrender unconditionally.

The DGP said the helicopter contract with Pawan Hans, which was highly controversial during the last Pinarayi government, has ended and would now call a global tender for the contract. He said that had recommended to the government to bring in a Maharashtra-style law to curb gold smuggling.

He said the Vismaya case had shaken the conscience of Kerala and that dowry could not be prevented by laws alone. He demanded that the Kerala community discuss the issue and create awareness on the safety of women.

He said that he is not evaluating the functioning of five years and asked people to evaluate what the police have done. He said that he had made Kerala Police one of the best forces in the country and is satisfied with his retirement and would not respond to political allegations. Behera will step down from service on June 30.