The State police are reportedly planning to extern from Sabarimala those who incited communal trouble and targeted women, devotees and journalists when the temple opened for monthly puja in October.
Those high on the blacklist of the police included leaders and activists of some radical outfits sworn to prevent women between the “forbidden” age of 10 and 50 from worshipping at the temple.The police would detain known troublemakers at Nilackal, the base camp 26 km downhill from the forest shrine. No private vehicle would be allowed beyond the point. Pilgrims have the choice of walking to Pampa for the 4-km uphill trek to the temple or rely on KSRTC buses making round trips. Only drivers with passes from their respective police stations will be allowed to park their vehicles at Sabarimala.
The police are using an elaborate network of surveillance cameras, drones and military helicopters, for aerial surveillance, as force multipliers to uphold the peace in Sabarimala.
