Published Oct 06, 2026 | 4:29 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 06, 2026 | 10:09 PM
R Sugathan.
In a major relief for the BJP-led Thiruvananthapuram Corporation administration, the Kerala High Court on Tuesday, October 6, ordered the release of councillor R. Sugathan, who has been detained at Viyyur Central Prison under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act (KAAPA).
A Division Bench comprising Justice Anil K. Narendran and Justice Muralee Krishna S. allowed the habeas corpus petition filed by Sugathan’s wife challenging his preventive detention.
The petition challenged the detention order issued by the Thiruvananthapuram District Magistrate and raised questions over the documents relied upon for the preventive detention.
According to the petition, the documents supplied to Sugathan were incomplete, with pages missing from some records and portions of certain documents being illegible.
It also alleged that the KAAPA proceedings were politically motivated and that some cases cited as grounds for detention were either politically motivated cases or counter-cases.
Sugathan, elected from Ward 20 (Vazhottukonam) in the 2025 local body elections, was placed under preventive detention under the KAAPA, citing several criminal cases registered against him, including an attempted murder.
During the proceedings, the Director General of Prosecution contended that Sugathan had been included in the police rowdy list since 2014 and that 22 criminal cases had been registered against him.
The latest order comes a few months after the High Court had intervened to facilitate Sugathan’s assumption of office.
In July, the court directed the authorities to make arrangements for him to take the oath as councillor from inside the prison after an earlier oath-taking was declared invalid.
After walking out of jail, Sugathan thanked the BJP and party workers who had stood by him during his four-month imprisonment.
He claimed the party had “taken care” of his ward and family while he was in jail.
Sugathan’s release is politically significant for the BJP-led council.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) currently has 50 members in the 101-member Corporation council and is governing with the support of independents.
With Sugathan now set to return to the council, the BJP-led administration is expected to gain further strength at a time when its numbers remain crucial to retaining control of the Corporation.
The court order comes amid a separate controversy involving Sugathan, who has been accused of creating forged attendance records showing that he had attended Corporation meetings while he was in hiding to evade arrest.
Also Read: Fresh row in BJP-led Thiruvananthapuram Corporation over ‘forged’ signature
CPI(M) Parliamentary Party leader S.P. Deepak alleged that Sugathan’s release was the outcome of a deal between the Congress-led UDF and the BJP.
While stating that he respected the court’s verdict, Deepak alleged that the Home Department had adopted a position favourable to the accused.
He said the LDF would organise protests over the issue, including at the Corporation.
Congress parliamentary party leader K.S. Sabarinathan rejected the allegation.
He said the state government would examine issues including the leave granted to Sugathan and called for a proper investigation into the complaint submitted by the LDF.
Sabarinathan also pointed out that the cases registered against Sugathan continued to remain active.
(Edited by Fayisa CA)
