Supreme Court takes a dig at Kerala government in Senkumar case

Asks if it tried to change present DGP because Mahija staged stir; turns down govt’s request to defer case for 2 weeks

File Photo of the Supreme Court premises.

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday took dig at the Kerala Government while hearing the plea of former DGP T P Senkumar and asked whether the government has made an attempt to change the present DGP Loknath Behera just because Jishnu Pranoy’s mother Mahija staged a hunger strike.

Justice Madan B Lokur’s observation came while hearing the plea regarding the removal of Senkumar. “For five days, the mother of Jishnu was on a hunger strike. We saw in the papers. So, has the new DGP not been removed?”

Kerala Government had cited lapses in the probe into the Jisha murder case and the Puttingal fireworks tragedy as the reasons behind the removal of Senkumar.

“The grounds on which the DGP was removed were not valid. As soon as the new government took over on May 25, 2016 a report was prepared and within two days, I (DGP) was removed,” said Dushyant Dave appearing on behalf of Senkumar.

“In two days, the Chief Minister barely had the time to go through my files and he removed me. I haven’t been heard at all,” Dave said.

Dave informed the court other than Senkumar, 90 other police officers were also transferred or shifted from their posts after the present LDF Government took charge.

“It is not only because of Jisha murder case you are transferred, there is a case related to the fireworks tragedy in a temple. In the murder case, no result came out for over a month, thus the government thought of removing you,” the Bench observed.

During the hearing, the court turned down the request of the government to defer the case for two weeks as it has not filed affidavits so far.

The apex court asked why it did not do so even though senior officers were present in Delhi and adjourned the hearing till Tuesday.