THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Crime Branch, in an unprecedented move, has written to State Police Chief Loknath Behera seeking permission to take over the probe of six cases pertaining to the Solar scam. Permission was sought by Crime Branch ADGP Tomin J Thachankary and the move did not go down well with a section of senior officers, including the police chief, said a highly-placed source. The Crime Branch chief’s letter to the State Police Chief is part of a turf war between the two cops that has been going on ever since he was appointed.
The main contention against the Crime Branch’s move was that the cases are normally assigned by the police chief. Those who head various wings investigate the cases after being ordered to do so by the chief. It’s in this context that Thachankary’s move raised a few eyebrows.
Currently, a special team led by Armed Battalion DIG P Prakash is probing six cases connected to the Solar scam, including allegations of sexual abuse registered by Sarita S Nair against some Congress leaders. While Prakash is the investigating officer, the entire probe is being monitored by Law and Order ADGP Sheikh Darvesh Saheb. If the request of the Crime Branch is accepted, then the case will be shifted out of the purview of Law and Order ADGP.
A senior police officer, who is privy to the matter, said some of the cases pertaining to Solar scam need to be evaluated very cautiously as it has got a lot of political implications. “That’s why a special team monitored by a senior officer was set in place to probe the matter. Now, nothing extraordinary has happened that warrants transferring the case to the Crime Branch,” said the officer.
Meanwhile, Behera responded that he has received no such request from the Crime Branch. “I did not get such a request,” he said. Thachankary was not available for comment despite several attempts to reach him over phone.