Sabarimala: Kerala police chief Loknath Behera has honoured 10 women police officers who were involved in the arrest of Hindu Aikya Vedi state president K P Sasikala at Sabarimala recently. In a sarcastic response, Sasikala said she hails Behera's honour for these cops as police personnel deployed at Sabarimala work without even the basic facilities.

The 10 officers get good service entry and an award.

They are: Circle inspectors K A Elizabeth (Alathur, Palakkad) and Radhamani (Infopark, Kochi), sub-inspectors V Anilkumari and V. Premalatha (women's cell, Palakkad), C T Umadevi (Thrissur city), Seetha (Farooq), Suseela (Pathanamthitta), K S Anilkumari (women's cell, Kottayam) and Thresya Sosa (Kochi), besides Suseela of women's helpline, Thodupuzha.

Sasikala mocks Behera

The Hindu Aikya Vedi leader said she congratulated Behera for the good service entry he provided to police women who blocked her at Marakoottam, Sabarimala. “Poor police personnel work there without even having basic facilities,” Sasikala said.

“I'm ready to go to Sabarimala again if the DGP will again offer good service entry for blocking me. At least someone will have some use of a retired hand like me.”

Sasikala was arrested on November 18 at the Marakootam area, near Sabarimala. Her arrest had led to a state-wide hartal the next day. She was released on bail later. She

The hill shrine has been under a heavy security blanket since November 16, the day when it was opened for the annual two-month-long pilgrimage season.

The police had said that the restriction was in the backdrop of the frenzied protests witnessed at the shrine over the state government's decision to implement the September 28 apex court order.