THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In an apparent bid to boost the chances of Manoj Abraham as well as M R Ajith Kumar, who are among the six IPS officers whose names it has proposed for the state police chief post, the Kerala government has resorted to an unprecedented act: Asking the contenders to drop out of the race to facilitate those next in line.
The move, say those in the know, also aims at avoiding the possibility of the government having to choose Kerala’s next top cop from the three senior-most IPS officers – Nitin Agarwal, Ravada A Chandrasekhar and Yogesh Gupta – who are expected to be included in the short-list prepared by the Union Public Service Commission, and with whom the government has a frayed equation.
Sources revealed that Ravada and Yogesh were approached by the government with the strange request. The intention, sources said, is to facilitate the inclusion Manoj, S Suresh and Ajith Kumar – officers who are next in line in terms of seniority and whom it favours – in the UPSC list so that it can pick a favourite.
Currently with the Intelligence Bureau as a special director, Ravada has been offered the post of secretary (security) in the cabinet secretariat. Yogesh is currently the director general of the fire and rescue services department.
As per sources, Ravada and Yogesh, the second and third senior-most IPS officers in Kerala, were sent feelers by the government through unofficial channels: Serving and retired IAS officers as well as retired IPS officers. Offers were made to the officers sources said, without divulging what was promised.
Officers displeased with govt tactics
On account of their seniority and blemishless records, the duo is expected to figure in the three-member list that the UPSC forwards to the state government from which the latter would select the next state police chief when incumbent Shaik Darvesh Saheb retires on June 30.
Nitin, the most senior of the three, is expected to be the first name in the list, provided his forced repatriation to the state from the Border Security Force, where he was serving as the DG, for reasons yet unknown is not counted against him.
Meanwhile, sources said the two officers did not take the “bait” and also expressed strong displeasure to the “mediators” with the government’s attempt to arm-twist them. There have been reports that the state government, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to be specific, has apprehensions regarding the three seniors, Nitin, Ravada and Yogesh.
The government is more interested in Manoj or Ajith becoming the next top cop. However, Ajith is unlikely to make it to the UPSC list as Suresh, his senior, has expressed willingness to be considered for the post. Meanwhile, the vigilance court here has postponed to June 21 the petition challenging the bureau’s clean chit to Ajith in a disproportionate assets case.