KOCHI: Even as the state cabinet decided to put the vexing T P Senkumar issue on the back burner, another DGP Jacob Thomas chose to wait at the wings by extending his leave by a month. And if the state government, especially the Home Department, headed by the Chief Minister finds nothing amiss in the script, the officer who was virtually hounded out by the High Court as DGP, Vigilance may be getting ready to don the role of the state’s top cop.
Speaking to Express, Thomas said it was up to the Chief Minister to decide whether he should return as the state police chief.
“My only request would be that merit, seniority and professionalism be counted as the criteria for the selection of the top cop,” said the 1985-batch officer, whose only hurdle and senior, Arun Kumar Sinha is away in the US on a Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) posting and hence expects no challenge once Senkumar retires.
“Can there be any differentiation between officers who enjoy the same level of seniority? I would accept the decision of the chief minister,” he said. The incumbent DGP Loknath Behra and DGP Rishiraj Singh, are both from the 1985 batch, same as Thomas.
“I have never challenged the decision of an elected government, despite being sidelined in the past by ruling parties many times.
I was chairman of the Kerala Police Housing Construction Corporation before being posted as Vigilance Director; I also headed the Lokayukta, Human Rights Commission and the State Women’s Commission,” he added.
As things stand now, Senkumar would retire on June 30, which would leave him with less than two months in office, once the state government follows the Apex Court order.
The next man in line is Arun Kumar Sinha, whose time will be up anyway on October 31, 2018. Once Thomas gets in, he will have an uninterrupted run till May 31, 2020.