THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The standoff between the government and state police chief T P Senkumar turned into an open fight, with latter’s gunman transferred to the armed reserve camp of city police on Tuesday.
Grade ASI Anilkumar, who was the police chief’s security officer cum gunman for the past 15 years, was shifted following a government order without DGP Senkumar’s knowledge.
Top government sources said he was transferred after they received several complaints against him. When the New Indian Express contacted Senkumar, he was unavailable for comment.
The government and DGP Senkumar have been at loggerheads since he was reinstated as Kerala police chief earlier in May. The rift began when Senkumar had transferred some officials in the police headquarters. However, his decision was later frozen by the government.
Last week, the government also recommended initiating prosecution measures against Senkumar based on a complaint lodged by police headquarters Additional IG V Gopalakrishnan.
This also sparked off a controversy and Anilkumar’s transfer has added to the DGP’s troubles.
DGP Senkumar, who will retire on June 30 was reinstated following the Supreme Court’s order after a nine-month legal battle with the government.
He was removed by the LDF government in early June, 2016, alleging that he had failed to properly conduct investigations in the Jisha murder case and the Puttingal temple fire tragedy.