THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Close on the heels of the retirement of Anil Kant as state police chief, the state government will soon promote a senior ADGP rank officer to the grade of the DGP. The state is allotted four DGP ranks and the retirement of Anil has created a vacancy that is likely to be filled by elevating Coastal Security ADGP Sanjeeb Kumar Patjoshi, who is the next officer in line for promotion, to the rank. Once promoted as DGP, barring the state police chief, other officers of that rank cannot work in the police and hence Sanjeeb is most likely to be posted as Fire and Rescue Services director general.
The vacancy arose after Shaik Darvesh Saheb, who was working as its director general, was anointed as the state police chief. In case the government does not wish to appoint Sanjeeb in the Fire and Rescue, it might go for a rejig and move Prisons Director K Padmakumar to the post.
The post of ADGP Coastal Security would not be exclusively filled, sources said. Rather, an ADGP ranked officer would be given additional charge. Similarly, the post of ADGP Armed Battalion is still lying vacant after H Venkatesh was appointed as Crime Branch ADGP. It would also be given as additional charge.
Meanwhile, Human Rights Commission (Investigation) DGP Tomin J Thachankary will retire on July 31. His retirement will be followed by the promotion of Intelligence ADGP T K Vinod Kumar to the DGP grade.