Home Secretary Bishwanath Sinha ordered the probe against ADGP (Law and Order) MR Ajith Kumar and the now-suspended Pathanamthitta SP, Sujith Das S.
Published Sep 20, 2024 | 9:41 AM ⚊ Updated Sep 20, 2024 | 10:50 AM
IPS officers MR Ajith Kumar (left) and Sujith Das S.
The Kerala government has ordered a vigilance probe against two IPS officers based on allegations levelled against them by independent LDF MLA PV Anvar.
Home Secretary Bishwanath Sinha ordered the probe against ADGP (Law and Order) MR Ajith Kumar and the now-suspended Pathanamthitta SP Sujith Das S on Thursday, 19 September.
The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) would look into various charges of corruption made against the two ranking officers.
Incidentally, the VACB’s probe against Kumar was ordered almost two weeks after the state police chief, DGP Shaik Darvesh Saheb, had recommended an investigation by the anti-graft body. The delay in ordering the probe was widely criticised, including by the CPI, the second-largest constituent in the ruling LDF.
The CPI had also condemned Kumar’s reported clandestine meetings with RSS functionaries. The meetings have put even Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan under a cloud of suspicion after it was alleged that the IPS officer’s across-the-political-aisle visits were at the behest of the veteran Marxist.
Businessman-politician Anvar, representing Nilambur in the state Assembly, had met the chief minister and CPI(M) state Secretary MV Govindan earlier, saying Kumar — supported by Vijayan’s Political Secretary P Sasi — was involved in “undesirable activities”. The officer was also accused of being in hand-in-gloves with Malappuram-based gold smugglers.
Anwar had levelled serious allegations against Das, including murder, causing disappearances, deploying plainclothesmen to ambush smugglers for gold, and illegally felling trees from his government quarters when he was the SP in Malappuram.
The VACB will also look into the activities of the Malappuram District Anti-Narcotic Special Action Force (DNSAF) under the two IPS officers.
Sinha’s order said the allegations raised against the two officers warranted a probe, and the VACB would look at the following allegations:
The VACB probe team is likely to be constituted on Friday, 20 September.
Following Anvar’s allegations against the officers, the government constituted a high-level probe team headed by the state police chief. The DGP recommended a Vigilance probe against Kumar and Das on 9 September, saying the allegations prima facie warranted an investigation.
Meanwhile, CPI leader VS Sunil Kumar raised serious concerns regarding the recent disruption of the Thrissur Pooram festival, suggesting that it may not have been an accident but rather a deliberate conspiracy with political motivations.
He pointed out that despite the chief minister announcing an inquiry into the matter, the lack of progress over the past four months is “shocking.”
Sunil Kumar emphasized the need for transparency, stating that if government involvement exists, it must be disclosed promptly.
To further investigate the situation, he plans to file a Right to Information (RTI) application with the chief secretary and the DGP to uncover the individuals behind the disruption.
He expressed his readiness to share information with the public if the inquiry continues without accountability, including details about those involved.
The CPI leader noted the availability of CCTV footage from the event and highlighted that he did not see MR Ajith Kumar at the venue, instead saw only three IPS officers.
Sunil Kumar further questioned, “Who ultimately decided to stop the event and on what basis the prohibition of firecrackers was enforced,” demanding clarity on these critical issues and accountability from those responsible.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
