KAAPA Detainee and BJP Leader Sugathan Takes Oath as Councillor Inside Viyyur Prison

Thiruvananthapuram: BJP councillor R Sugathan, who is currently lodged in prison under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act (KAAPA), took the oath of office inside Viyyur Central Prison on Monday.

The oath-taking ceremony was held in the prison library hall, where Thiruvananthapuram Mayor V. V. Rajesh administered the oath. Corporation Secretary J. Mohammed Shafi and Jail Superintendent R. S. S. Rajesh Kumar were also present. The ceremony was completed within minutes, and Sugathan took the oath in the name of God.

Earlier, the oath taken by Sugathan and 19 other BJP councillors had been declared legally invalid. Following a High Court ruling in the matter, the remaining 19 councillors took the oath again. However, Sugathan was unable to do so because he had been detained under the KAAPA.

Subsequently, Sugathan approached the Kerala High Court seeking permission to take the oath. The High Court directed that arrangements be made for him to take the oath inside the prison.

The state government did not oppose Sugathan's petition, thereby facilitating the oath-taking process. BJP's majority in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation depends on a margin of one member, including the support of an Independent councillor, and Sugathan's disqualification would have resulted in the loss of the party's control over the civic body. The government enabled the oath-taking to ensure the continuation of the BJP-led administration.