The suspension comes after the VACB Director recommended disciplinary action, citing the seriousness of the allegations and the likelihood of the officer influencing witnesses or tampering with evidence.
Published Dec 23, 2025 | 6:55 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 23, 2025 | 6:55 PM
M K Vinod Kumar. (Supplied)
Synopsis: Vinod Kumar, who was serving as DIG (Headquarters) at the Prisons and Correctional Services Department in Thiruvananthapuram, has been accused of accepting bribes from prisoners and their relatives in return for facilitating parole and extending special privileges inside jails.
The Kerala Home Department has placed Prisons and Correctional Services Deputy Inspector General-Head Quarters (DIG) M K Vinod Kumar under suspension following the registration of a corruption case against him by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB).
The suspension comes after the VACB Director recommended disciplinary action, citing the seriousness of the allegations and the likelihood of the officer influencing witnesses or tampering with evidence.
The vigilance had initiated steps on 22 December to register a fresh case based on intelligence inputs and a preliminary inquiry.
Vinod Kumar, who was serving as DIG (Headquarters) at the Prisons and Correctional Services Department in Thiruvananthapuram, has been accused of accepting bribes from prisoners and their relatives in return for facilitating parole and extending special privileges inside jails.
According to the First Information Report (FIR) registered by the VACB Special Investigation Unit–I (SIU-I), the officer allegedly received ₹1.80 lakh between March 1, 2024, and November 15, 2025.
The payments were reportedly made through UPI-based transactions, including Google Pay transfers, to bank accounts belonging to his relatives, including his wife. The funds were traced through bank records during the preliminary investigation.
On Saturday, 20 December, VACB teams conducted searches at Vinod Kumar’s residence in Alappuzha and his official quarters in Thiruvananthapuram as part of the ongoing probe.
Vigilance officials allege that the money was collected from inmates lodged in several central prisons across the state, including Thiruvananthapuram, Viyyur, Kannur, and the High Security Prison at Viyyur.
In return, paroles were allegedly arranged and favourable reports prepared to help prisoners secure temporary release, even in cases where courts had taken a strict stance against granting such relief.
The investigation further suggests that Vinod Kumar maintained contact with criminal associates and relatives of inmates and misused his official position to influence prison administration processes.
The vigilance case has been registered under Sections 7(a) and 7(b) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended in 2018, which deal with public servants accepting undue advantage.
In its suspension order, the government noted that Vinod Kumar, being a senior officer in the Prisons Department, could potentially destroy documents or influence witnesses, including inmates, if allowed to continue in service during the investigation.
Pending completion of the probe, Vinod Kumar will remain under suspension and will be entitled to subsistence allowance as per Rule 55 of Part I of the Kerala Service Rules, the order said.
The case has drawn particular attention as vigilance officials confirmed that some of the alleged bribes were received from Kodi Suni and seven other convicts serving life sentences for the assassination of T P Chandrasekharan, a former CPI(M) leader and founder of the Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP).
Chandrasekharan was murdered in 2012 in a politically charged killing that had shaken Kerala.
(Edited by Sumavarsha, with inputs from Dileep V Kumar)
