The Kerala High Court on Monday (03 August) refused to interfere with a Single Judge's decision staying the operation of a government order that restructures the police personnel associations in the State.

The Division Bench comprising Justice A.K. Jaysankaran Nambiar and Justice Preeta A.K refused to stay the Single Judge's order.

The government order dated July 27, 2026 approved reorganisation of police associations based on the recommendation of the State Police Chief.

The Kerala Police Association, established in 1979 in implementation of the National Police Commission recommendations, presently represents Civil Police Officers, Police Constables, Senior Civil Police Officers, Head Constables and Havildars. Three separate police associations have been functioning independently for nearly five decades to represent different ranks within the police force.

The impugned government order proposes to reconstitute the Kerala Police Association by including Grade Assistant Sub Inspectors, Assistant Sub Inspectors and Grade Sub Inspectors and abolish the Kerala Police Officers Association.

The order proposes to redistribute the abolished association's assets, bank accounts, deposits and other rights between the Kerala Police Association and the Kerala Police Senior Officers Association in a 60:40 ratio and freeze the existing elected committees.

The Single Judge on July 30 stayed the operation of the Government order observing that there was absence of prima facie reasons to bifurcate the existing association.

This stay order was challenged before the Division Bench, which orally observed that the interim order was passed at admission stage and the appellants, who are respondents in the writ petition should have filed a counter affidavit instead of approaching the Division Bench.

"In the admission stage you got an interim order.. And then on the very next day you are approaching us challenging the said order without even filing counter.. You should have filed a counter and get the stay vacated...What could have been filed as a counter affidavit is now filed as a writ appeal... this is a complete abuse of procedure and creates a wrong precedence" the Court orally observed.

Following this, the counsel for the appellant requested to withdraw the appeal without prejudice to appear before the concerned Court in the future.

Case Title: Addl. R4 G.R. Ajith v Kerala Police Association

Case No: WA 1517/ 2026

Counsel for Appellant: Nisha George