Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram Mayor leans on United Democratic Front government circular to grant 6 months leave to councillor R. Sugathan who is jailed under KAAPA
The Thiruvananthapuram city Corporation council voted to grant a six-month leave of absence to a BJP councillor currently jailed under the KAAPA act. The decision, supported by the Mayor, sparked protests from opposition parties who challenged the procedural legitimacy of the move.
Why it matters
It highlights political tensions and the ethical complexities of maintaining representation for incarcerated elected officials.
Amid vociferous protests from the Opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front (UDF), a council meeting of the Thiruvananthapuram city Corporation on Friday (July 31, 2026) granted six months of leave to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councillor R. Sugathan, who was arrested under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act (KAAPA), and currently lodged at the high-security correctional facility at Viyyur Central Prison in Thrissur in Kerala.
The leave application submitted through the Superintendent of the Viyyur Central Jail was put to vote and passed with 51 votes in the 101-member council. The number was achieved with the help of Independent councillor Sudheesh of the Poundkadavu ward as well as Mayor V.V. Rajesh's casting vote.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in