Thrissur, 14 July (H.S.): In a first-of-its-kind development in Kerala, BJP councillor R. Sugathan of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation is set to take the oath of office inside Viyyur Central Prison on Tuesday, following permission granted by the Kerala High Court.

Sugathan, who is currently lodged in Viyyur Central Prison under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act (KAAPA), will take the oath at 11 a.m. in the office of the prison superintendent. Accredited journalists have been permitted to witness and report the proceedings, making it an unprecedented event in the state's civic administration.

The High Court directed that the oath be administered inside the prison after legal complications prevented Sugathan from being released even for a day. He is facing multiple criminal cases, including charges of attempt to murder and assaulting police personnel, apart from his detention under the KAAPA law.

Earlier, the Nedumangad court had granted him conditional one-day bail in the attempt-to-murder case to enable him to take the oath. The order required him to complete the swearing-in ceremony and return to prison by the end of the day. However, since he remained under preventive detention in the KAAPA case, he could not be released without further orders from the High Court.

The fresh oath assumes political significance for the BJP-led ruling front in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, which holds a slender majority of 101 councillors. Sugathan's reinstatement is expected to strengthen the ruling coalition's position in the civic body.

The need for a second swearing-in arose after the Kerala High Court earlier invalidated the oath taken by Sugathan and several other councillors. The court held that they had not adhered to the prescribed constitutional format after invoking the names of Hindu deities and martyrs during the ceremony. It subsequently directed them to retake the oath strictly in accordance with the statutory procedure, paving the way for Tuesday's unusual swearing-in inside prison.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman