THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The police department has given the full responsibility of the police dog squad, the state dog training centre and the resting centre of decommissioned dogs to the armed police battalion ADGP in the wake of recent allegations of corruption and mismanagement.
Armed Battalion ADGP was earlier the nodal officer of the police dog squad, also known as the K9 squad, while the administrative matters were being carried out by Intelligence IG P Prakash, who was the deputy nodal officer. T
he state dog training centre and the resting centre for retired dogs, named Vishranthi, were functioning in the Kerala Police Academy (KEPA) in Thrissur under the KEPA director.
As the entities were monitored by different officers, there have been complaints regarding the lack of synergy between them. Corruption charges had also surfaced recently against the state dog squad, while there have been allegations that dogs being rehabilitated at Vishranthi were not being given medicines due to lack of funds.
The state government had recently suspended the nodal officer of the dog training squad and ordered a detailed probe into the corruption allegations. It’s against this backdrop that all three facilities were brought under a single command.
As per the new order issued by state police chief Shaik Darvesh Saheb on Tuesday, the Armed Battalion ADGP will decide on the administrative matters of all three facilities. Since the position of Armed Battalion ADGP is lying vacant, Battalion DIG Rahul R Nair, who is holding additional charge of the ADGP, will handle the charge of the three facilities.
Their expenditure will now be borne by the Armed Battalion. They will also handle the day-to-day supervision, administration, procurement, training, re-training and allotment of K9 squads to districts and other units.
The dog squad sent to the districts or other units will be under the control of the districts/units, which will bear their expense. The KEPA director will provide the necessary support for the running of Vishranthi, as per the new order.