THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Museum Police on Monday recorded the statements of a doctor and a therapist in connection with the case registered against former state police chief T P Senkumar for allegedly forging documents to draw full remuneration even after having gone on leave for eight months.
A police team led by Cantonment ASP K E Baiju recorded the statements from Dr V K Ajith Kumar of Government Ayurveda College and former police therapist Arun Babu. However, they refuted the allegations that medical certificates produced before the government by Senkumar for availing leave were fake.
According to Baiju, Senkumar was introduced to Ajith Kumar by Arun Babu. “Prima facie, they reiterated the certificates and other records submitted by Senkumar were genuine. So we need to verify this. Both had co-operated with the interrogation,” Baiju said.However, he was unsure about recording Senkumar’s statement. “We can’t record the statement from Senkumar so early. There is ample time and we need to cross-check some facts,” the officer said. Senkumar was booked by the Museum Police last Saturday based on a complaint lodged by former Corporation councillor A J Sukarno. The police had registered an FIR against Senkumar based on the instructions of State Police Chief Loknath Behera.
Earlier, Chief Secretary Nalini Netto had recommended the DGP file a case against the preceding police chief and initiate a comprehensive probe. The government gave the recommendations following a report submitted by the Vigilance after a preliminary investigation by Vigilance DySP Bijimon of the special investigation unit in Thiruvananthapuram. The report had recommended an inquiry either by the crime branch or the local police.
The complaint said Senkumar had accepted remuneration for his leave by forging medical certificates and prescriptions while he was the director general of the Institute of Management in Governance (IMG). Senkumar is accused of taking Rs 8 lakh from the government as salary while he was on an eight-month leave. Along with his letter, Senkumar allegedly produced eight medical fitness certificates from Dr V K Ajith Kumar of Government Ayurveda college.
Senkumar was removed as the state police chief in June last year as soon as the LDF came to power. He had applied for leave on June 7 last year with half-salary on personal grounds and later submitted a request letter stating the same reason to the Chief Secretary. He had continued to request the same for the next eight months.Senkumar rejoined as IMG DG after eight months and informed the government he was undergoing treatment for some ailment. But the Vigilance had found he spent the time at Annamanada in Thrissur and at Ernakulam instead of consulting a doctor at the Ayurveda centre. This was proved by tracing Senkumar’s mobile phone signals. It was also found Senkumar was given just two medicines from the hospital during the eight-month period.