Overview
- A government order issued on July 27 by the Kerala Home Department, signed by Additional Chief Secretary Minhaj Alam, sought to dissolve the Kerala Police Officers' Association (KPOA) and reassign its members into two remaining bodies.
- The July 27 order also prescribed a 60:40 split of KPOA bank accounts, assets and liabilities between the Kerala Police Association (KPA) and the Kerala Police Senior Officers' Association (KPSOA) and set a deadline for fresh elections by September 30, 2026.
- Following the order, State Police Chief Ravada A. Chandrasekhar dissolved the elected governing bodies of the three associations and formed a 17-member ad hoc committee to manage the transition, a committee the court has ordered not to act.
- The KPA and the KPOA filed writ petitions arguing the order was issued without consultation, violated association by‑laws that require a two‑thirds general‑body vote to change constitutions, and infringed freedom of association and Article 33 protections for forces responsible for public order.
- Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas granted an interim stay on the order on July 30–31, pausing implementation while the High Court considers whether a state executive can restructure or abolish recognised police associations and what legal process must govern asset transfers and elections.