Conflicts Among Senior Kerala Police Officials Worry CM Vijayan
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Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 23 (NationPress) The ongoing conflicts among senior Kerala Police officials have emerged as a significant issue for Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who also holds the title of the state Home Minister.
Two high-ranking police officers, both serving as Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), M.R. Ajithkumar and P. Vijayan, have been in conflict for an extended period. The situation escalated when P. Vijayan lodged a formal complaint against Ajithkumar with the state police chief (SPC).
In his grievance, P. Vijayan alleged that Ajithkumar made a false claim regarding his involvement along with several police officials from the Anti-Terror Squad in gold smuggling activities near the Kozhikode International Airport.
The SPC, Sheikh Darvesh Saheb, after reviewing the complaint due to its involvement with two esteemed colleagues, has forwarded P. Vijayan’s complaint to the Home department for suitable action.
Notably, the relationship between the two officials has been strained for some time, largely due to a report by Ajithkumar that led to P. Vijayan’s suspension from service while he was an IGP, accused of leaking sensitive information to the media regarding a case.
However, P. Vijayan was later exonerated when a subsequent investigation cleared him, resulting in not only his reinstatement but also a promotion to the rank of ADGP.
This latest incident arises amid the ongoing discussions regarding the upcoming appointment of a new SPC, as Saheb is set to retire in the coming months.
Potential candidates for the position include Revadha Chandrasekhar (if he opts to return to Kerala), Nithin Agarwal, and Yogesh Gupta.
With two officials holding the rank of DGP, including Saheb and Padmakumar, nearing retirement, additional candidates based on their seniority are expected to be included in the list that the state government will recommend to the Centre. This could involve Manoj Abraham, who is currently responsible for law and order.
The filing of the complaint puts CM Vijayan and his Home department in a challenging position as they consider the request against Ajithkumar while also preparing the candidate list for submission to the Centre.
