Kerala govt to set up dedicated wing in police to probe POCSO cases

Thiruvananthapuram | The Kerala government on Wednesday decided to set up a dedicated wing within the Kerala police to investigate cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

A state Cabinet meeting approved the formation of a special investigation wing within the state police force to probe cases registered under the POCSO Act, a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said.

As many as 304 posts, including those of four Deputy Superintendents of Police and 40 Sub-Inspectors, will be created for this purpose, it added.

Among other decisions, the Cabinet approved the draft liquor policy for the year 2025–26, the CMO said.

The meeting also decided to grant permission to district collectors to utilise unused properties owned by various departments in their respective districts as part of efforts to find land for extremely poor, landless individuals in the state.

Unoccupied flats built under the tsunami rehabilitation plan can also be used to accommodate landless individuals included in the government's extreme poverty eradication programme, the statement said.

Land will be acquired—up to two acres in Panchayats, one acre in municipalities, and 50 cents in corporations—without requiring no-objection certificates from the respective departments.

Collectors will also be permitted to transfer all vacant flats, properties, and houses built under the tsunami rehabilitation programme to extremely poor individuals in need, the CMO statement added.