THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government will soon appoint a senior IAS or IPS officer to conduct a departmental inquiry into the allegations that former Law and Order ADGP M R Ajith Kumar pressured investigators to file a report favouring former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s security detail accused of assaulting Youth Congress workers in Alappuzha in December 2023.
Ajith, the most senior ADGP, was suspended from service following a report by the special investigation team (SIT) that confirmed charges of sabotaging the initial probe to protect the erring officers. The report contains incriminating statements by officers who investigated the case initially, revealing the extent of intervention by the ADGP’s office in the probe.
As per rules, only an officer of the rank above ADGP can conduct inquiry in this case. Hence, either a DGP-ranked officer or an IAS officer of the rank of additional chief secretary or above will be appointed as the inquiry officer. If the government decides to go for an IPS officer, Yogesh Gupta or Manoj Abraham will be appointed as inquiry officer, with the name of the latter doing the rounds.
Another officer, who can be of a rank equal or junior to Ajith, will be appointed as presenting officer. However, Ajith will have to take the help of a serving or retired officer, whom he trusts, to defend him during the proceedings.
The SIT report, meanwhile, had strong statements against Ajith. According to the report, he strongly influenced the course of the probe and shaped it in a way that the case finally ended in a ‘refer report’, which in local parlance can be construed as a clean chit for the accused cops.
Ajith Kumar’s promotion to DGP rank in abeyance
Inspectors K P Tomson and DySPs Arun K S and Sunilraj, who had conducted the initial inquiry, stated that that they were subjected to pressure by Ajith’s office.
Tomson specifically had stated that Ajith examined the case diary, expressed dissatisfaction with the direction of the probe and questioned the findings which implicated the cops.
Sunilraj had shared with the SIT the communication he had received from the ADGP’s office, asking him to close the case. The report categorically stated that grade SIs Gireesh and Sreekanth, who were attached to Ajith’s office, interfered in the probe.
The state government decided to suspend the ADGP after finding that his intervention was ultra vires and his continued presence in service would affect fairness of further inquiry.
Meanwhile, Ajith’s promotion to the DGP rank has been kept in abeyance. If he returns unscathed in the inquiry, he will automatically be promoted as DGP.
A position of DGP will fall vacant after the retirement of Nitin Agarwal, who is set to bow out on July 31.
The screening committee had already vetted through Suresh Raj Purohit, who is now on central deputation, for the post. He will be promoted on a proforma basis.
The next in seniority is ADGP S Sreejith, whose name is yet to be considered by the screening committee as he will complete 30 years of service only this September.
It’s up to the government whether to keep the DGP post vacant till then.
