Cops back with ropes in Sabarimala

In the wake of the heavy rush of devotees, police officials are using ropes to stop devotees at several points, especially from Marakkoottam to Saramkuthy in the queue, despite a High Court directive against this.


“Police started using ropes as per the High Court directive allowing the use of ropes in emergencies, following requests from Special Officer P. Vijayan and ADGP P. Chandrasekharan,” said S. Jagadeesh, special commissioner.


The High Court banned the use of rope to control devotees when two devotees died after getting trapped in the rope in the rush last year.


Measures to control and direct pilgrims went haywire in many points as the crowd tried to break the queue and make their way to the hill shrine. The huge turnout of devotees has forced police officials to bring back the rope system for the first time this season.


Since iron bars are not there at many points to check the influx of crowds, police blocked the crowds at more than ten points using ropes. Devotees were allowed to advance in the queue batch by batch from Marakkoottam to Sannidhanam.


‘We have no other way to control the crowd. Many are reaching the Sannidhanam by infiltrating through jungle paths. It is impossible to control them with two or three policemen, said a police officer manning a point in the queue line.


Devotees had a hard time in the long queues as there was no arrangement to provide drinking water to them. Those who collapsed were taken to nearby hospitals by volunteers of the Ayyappa Seva Sangham.