Kerala Police - History

History

The first references of an independent policing unit in ancient Kerala history was traced back to the period of Imperial Cheras, who ruled much of Kerala and West coast of India till 1102 AD. The reference in Sangam literature, throws light on a special type of guards outside regular army, known as Kolkaran or one who carried the Kole (a stick) represented the authority. Similar references are made in many historical works during that era.

Towards the declining period of Chera Empire, many feudal kingdoms rose in Kerala, and each feudal lord became responsible for maintaining his authority over the people. This led to maintaining private force along with irregulars for maintaining peace and harmony in each one's terrority and to quell any acts of aggression against the lords. Policemen during this era were known in different names like Velkar in North Malabar, Kavilkar in Middle Kerala and Madampimar in Southern Kerala. These men were responsible not only in regular policing works, but also into tax collection and oppression of rebels. Many of their acts were too inhuman and laws favoured rich and mighty during this era. During this era, these men had magistrate powers to decide upon merit of case and take punishments, which thereby considered as not fair in modern sense.

The foundations of modern police system came in 1835, when Travancore Maharaja, HH Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma abolished the system of feudal lordship (Naduvazhi and Deshavazhi system) and handed over the magistrate powers to legal courts constituted by the King with learned men as judges along with a written codified law. With the abolishment of feudal lordships, the powers of private force to maintain law and order ceased and administration of justice, peace, and order fell upon the state. The Travancore's Royal Nair Brigade (Travancore Army) was given the responsibility of maintaining internal law and order, through a special division called as Sudarshana Sena (Guards).

Until 1881, the work of the police was combined with that of the magistrates. Actually, such a combination was found objectionable in principle and was most convenient in practice. The Indian Police act in 1861, which was made applicable to the British India, had attracted the attention of several provinces. In Travancore, Dewan Rama Iyengar was appointed for preparing a report on the basis of the Indian Police Act. Thereafter, the Travancore Police was reorganised on the basis of Rama Iyengars's report and the process was completed in 1881. The following were the important recommendations of Rama Iyengar:

• The police force should be separated from magistracy
• A superintendent should conduct the administration of the police under the direct control of Maharaja
• Certain criteria should be adopted for the recruitment of police personnel
• They should serve in any part of the country
• If necessary, a village Police force may also be maintained in addition to the police force

On the basis of this report a law was passed in 1881 on the lines of Madras Police Act. Thereafter, the Sudarshana Sena was reorganised and a new Police Department known as Royal Travancore Police (RTP), marking the foundations of modern Kerala Police, was started under the leadership of O.M.Bensly, the first Superintendent of Travancore Police. He held the post for thirty years and he is regarded as the Father of Modern Kerala Police. The re-organization, which started in 1881, was completed in 1882. At this time the force consisted of a superintendent, 2 assistant superintendents, 42 inspectors (in various grades), 8 sub inspectors, 160 head constables, 1890 constables. It shows the tremendous development of the department in modern times. The members of the force were enlisted from all classes with due regard to age and physical fitness and placed under the immediate control of the European superintendent, O. H. Bensely. As a result of the re- organization a complete separation of the Police and the Magistracy was effected and a clear line of demonstration was drawn between the judicial functions of the Magistrates and the preventive and detective duties of the Police. In 1939, significant changes were made in the General Executive Wing, Criminal Intelligence Wing, Reserve Force, Special Police, and Traffic Wing. The total strength of the police personnel in 1947 was 3626. N. Chandrasekharan Nair was appointed as Inspector General of Police and he took charge on 21 August 1948. He continued as Inspector General of Police even after the merger of Travancore and Cochin in 1952 and he was appointed as the first Inspector General of Police after the formation of the Kerala State in 1956.

Similar developments happened in Kingdom of Kochi with an independent police department was formed in 1883, under orders of Kochi Maharaja Rama Varma. George Gunther became the First Superintendent of Police of the Cochin State, which was known as Cochin State Royal Police (CSRP).

Whereas in Malabar, which was part of Madras Presidency of British India, the police force formed under Madras Police Act became responsible for internal law and order. The whole of Malabar was divided into North and South Malabar with headquarters at Tellicherry and Calicut for the smooth administration of the Police. As a precaution the best Police men were selected to form a separate unit. This unit was of great help in suppressing the riot of 1896. In 1906 it is estimated that Malabar Police had 188 officers and 1278 men in 106 Police Stations. In 1884 a special punitive force was organized. It was known as Malabar Special Police-1 in the beginning. The great eruption of Mappila rebellion forced the authority to create a strength of 600 constables in addition to the British and the Indian officers. The then South Malabar Police Superintendent Mr. Hitchcock organised a new Police force on the model of the British Army which came into existence on 30 September 1921 as Malabar Special Police-2. Hitchcock himself was the first Commandant of M.S.P. In 1932 the strength of the force was increased to 16 companies. Whenever law and order situation was threatened the British always rushed levies from outside to control the situation. The system continued like this till 1956 when the Kerala state was formed and the Malabar Special Police was divided into two parts, one going to Madras State and the other coming to Kerala.

The forces of Malabar, Cochin, Travancore merged on 1 November 1956 and was renamed as the Kerala State Police with its headquarters at Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital.