THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a major shake-up, the state government on Friday appointed Police Headquarters ADGP Manoj Abraham as the new vigilance director, while Armed Battalion ADGP K Padmakumar was called back to the headquarters. Padmakumar has often been overlooked by the LDF government for his perceived proximity with the UDF leaders and the call back to the police HQ could be termed as a moment of reckoning for him. Yogesh Gupta will be the new Bevco MD.
Another major rejig was that of ADGP M R Ajith Kumar, who has been elevated to the post of ADGP, Armed Battalion. Ajith Kumar was holding the relatively insignificant post of ADGP, Protection of Civil Rights, after being shunted out as vigilance director following the allegations levelled against him by gold smuggling accused Swapna Suresh.
Ajith Kumar was accused of masterminding the kidnapping of Sarith P S, another gold smuggling case accused, as well as deploying an ex-journalist as a mediator to prompt Swapna to retract her allegations against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The alleged acts of Ajith Kumar had created a headache for the government following which he was transferred out of the coveted post of vigilance director.
Ajith Kumar will continue to hold the charge of ADGP, Protection of Civil Rights. Senior officer Yogesh Gupta, ADGP of the state crime records bureau, has been appointed the MD of Kerala State Beverages Corporation.
Incumbent security IG T Vikram will replace Ashok Yadav as North Zone IG, while Yadav has been made the security IG. Beverages Corporation MD S Syamsundar has been appointed DIG, crimes.
Kozhikode Rural SP A Srinivas has been appointed the state special branch SP, while Ernakulam Rural SP K Karthick has been appointed Kottayam SP and Kottayam SP D Shilpa women cell SP, while she will hold the additional charge of commandant, Women Battalion. Kollam city commissioner T Narayanan has been posted AAIG, police headquarters, while headquarters SP Merin Joseph has been appointed Kollam city commissioner.