THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a significant move, the cabinet on Wednesday accepted the recommendation of the high-level screening committee to bestow DGP rank to ADGP M R Ajith Kumar, who is currently heading the Armed Police Battalion, when a vacancy arises.
The 1995-batch IPS officer, who is facing a vigilance probe over alleged illegal amassing of wealth, will be promoted as DGP by July next year when a vacancy arises after the retirement of state police chief Shaik Darvesh Saheb.
Also, S Suresh, who is on central deputation with the Special Protection Group, will be promoted to the DGP rank. And after K Padmakumar’s retirement on April 30, 2025, Law and Order ADGP Manoj Abraham of the 1994 batch will be elevated to the DGP rank. Ajith’s promotion will take place after that.
The government’s decision to promote Ajith has not gone down well with the Opposition. State Congress chief K Sudhakaran alleged that the controversial officer was being promoted as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had succumbed to the RSS. He said despite facing a battery of serious allegations, Ajith was promoted since he is the CM’s blue-eyed boy.
“Ajith was the bridge between the CM and the RSS. If disciplinary action was taken against him, this promotion would not have happened,” he said.
Screening committee recommended promoting Ajith as no cases were pending against him
Nilambur MLA P V Anvar, who had first raised the allegations against Ajith, termed the government’s decision to promote the officer as ‘shocking.’ He alleged that Ajith was the “biggest criminal in the force” and his elevation came at a time when an inquiry was on against him. “The ongoing probe (against Ajith Kumar) is mere eyewash. The decision is proof the CM’s Office has subjugated before the RSS,” Anvar said.
Ajith, who is considered as a close confidante of the CM, was removed from the coveted post of the ADGP Law and Order after he became embroiled in a slew of controversies.
The Nilambur MLA had raised a series of allegations against the officer, linking him with gold smuggling racket and also accusing him of amassing wealth through corrupt means.
Ajith was also accused of aiding attempts to sabotage the Thrissur Pooram and clandestinely meeting RSS national leaders. The police high-level inquiry team that carried out the probe found Ajith flouted service rules by meeting the RSS leaders in secret. At the same time, the team reported that there was no evidence to prove the other allegations against him.
The screening committee comprising the chief secretary, home secretary, state police chief and the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) director that met recently recommended promoting Ajith to DGP grade. It had opined that since no cases were pending against Ajith and he was not under suspension, his promotion could not be stalled.
Though the number of sanctioned DGP posts is four, Kerala currently has five DGP rank officers. They include Road Safety Authority Commissioner Nitin Agarwal, Fire and Rescue Services Director General K Padmakumar, State Police Chief Shaik Darvesh Saheb, DGP (Human Rights) Sanjeeb Kumar Patjoshi and VACB director Yogesh Gupta.
It was Nitin’s repatriation from the Border Security Force to the state cadre that prompted the government to seek sanction for the fifth DGP post on a short-term basis. When Patjoshi retires on December 31, the number of DGP posts will be back to four.
Meanwhile, the cabinet also concurred with the screening committee’s recommendation to promote IG Tarun Kumar of the 2000 batch as ADGP. DIGs Debesh Kumar Behera, Uma, Rajpal Meena and Jayanath of the 2007 batch will be promoted as IGs. SPs Yathish Chandra, Hari Sankar, Karthick K, Prateesh Kumar and T Narayan of the 2011 batch will be promoted as DIGs.