Dijo Kappan, activist who championed consumer rights, passes away

Social activist Dijo Kappan, 68, passed away at Pala in Kottayam on Friday (May 1, 2026). He breathed his last at a private hospital where he had been undergoing treatment after being injured in a car accident in October last year in Thiruvananthapuram.

An anti-corruption crusader, Kappan was known for his activism focussing on consumer rights and awareness. In 1988, he founded the Centre for Consumer Education which aimed at protection of the rights of consumers and farmers. He had led several legal battles in his capacity as the trustee of the centre. His notable legal interventions include on a variety of public causes such as hike in electricity charge and road tax, waste management crisis in Kochi and inconveniences caused by display of advertisement boards on public roads. He had led a prolonged battle against the hurdles in allowing insurance claims to victims of road accidents.