Now Reading: Kannur invokes KAAPA against gold-smuggling accused Arjun Ayanki
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Kannur invokes KAAPA against gold-smuggling accused Arjun Ayanki
The Kannur district administration has ordered preventive detention under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act (KAAPA) against 29-year-old Arjun Ayanki, citing his alleged involvement in nine criminal cases over the past seven…
The Kannur district administration has ordered preventive detention under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act (KAAPA) against 29-year-old Arjun Ayanki, citing his alleged involvement in nine criminal cases over the past seven years. The order was issued on the recommendation of Kannur District Police Chief (City) and approved by District Collector P. Vishnuraj, who said Ayanki posed a threat to society and was likely to continue criminal activities if released on bail.
Ayanki is currently in judicial custody and will be detained at Kannur Central Jail as a preventive measure. He first came to notice in 2021 during a gold smuggling investigation following a highway accident in Ramnattukara that killed five people, and was questioned by Customs in a case involving a carrier allegedly carrying 2.33 kg of gold meant for him. Police also accuse him of being a key conspirator in a 2023 abduction and robbery of a gold merchant in Palakkad's Meenakshipuram, where a gang allegedly stole 75 sovereigns of gold.
More recently, Ayanki was arrested after a statewide search over a cybercrime case involving alleged abusive and threatening social media posts targeting Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala and police officers. This is not the first KAAPA action against him: a 2022 detention order was set aside by the KAAPA Advisory Board, which ruled the customs gold smuggling case could not be relied upon for KAAPA action at that time.
Indian Opinion Analysis
KAAPA is a preventive detention law that allows the state to hold a person without trial for up to one year if they are deemed a habitual offender or a threat to public order. The law has been criticised by civil liberties groups for potential misuse, but courts have upheld its constitutionality when applied with procedural safeguards. Ayanki's case highlights how the state uses KAAPA to target individuals linked to organised crime networks, especially gold smuggling, which has been a persistent law enforcement challenge in Kerala. The earlier 2022 order being set aside by the Advisory Board shows that such detentions are subject to review. The key next step is whether the current order withstands a similar challenge or board scrutiny.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
