MALAPPURAM: Footballer I M Vijayan has officially retired from the police service. The police, on Friday, bid a farewell to Vijayan, who served as the assistant commandant of the Malabar Special Police (MSP) in Malappuram.
Vijayan began his journey with the police force in 1987, joining as a constable at the age of 18. He briefly left the service in 1991 to play for Mohun Bagan Super Giant football club in Kolkata. However, in 1992, he rejoined the force.
Vijayan once again stepped away from the police in 1993, playing for clubs, including Mohun Bagan, East Bengal FC, JCT Mills Phagwara, FC Kochin, and Churchill Brothers FC. Vijayan was a star player in the national team from 1991 to 2003, and captained the side from 2000 to 2004. He retired from professional football in 2006 after his stint with East Bengal FC. Vijayan, later, rejoined the police force as an assistant sub-inspector and became the MSP assistant commandant in 2021.
He retired from the Kerala Police after receiving a salute from fellow officers at the farewell parade in Malappuram on Friday. Vijayan was conferred the Arjuna Award in 2002 and honoured with the Padma Shri in 2025.