Thiruvananthapuram, July 24 (IANS) Declaring that no officer, regardless of rank, would be allowed to violate established procedures, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala on Friday strongly defended the suspension of senior IPS officer M.R. Ajithkumar, asserting that the Kerala government had merely acted on the recommendation of the State Police Chief after a detailed Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe.
“There is nothing unusual in this order. The State Police Chief recommended suspension after examining the findings of a detailed investigation. As a government, we can act only in accordance with the rules. No officer can break the rules, and if anyone does, action will follow. Our government is clear that there will be no compromise on accountability,” Chennithala said, responding to questions over the action.
The Minister’s remarks came soon after the government released the detailed suspension order, which lays out the reasons for initiating disciplinary proceedings against the former Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) under the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969.
The order, based on the findings of the SIT and endorsed by the State Police Chief, alleges that the investigation into the alleged assault on Youth Congress workers during the Nava Kerala Sadas programme at Alappuzha in December 2023 was improperly influenced from the office of the then ADGP (Law and Order).
According to the order, the alleged intervention altered the course of the probe and culminated in the filing of a refer report, effectively shielding the accused from prosecution.
The government relied on the statements of three former Investigating Officers, who reportedly gave consistent accounts before the SIT alleging that they had come under pressure during the investigation.
It also referred to the alleged involvement of officers attached to the then ADGP’s office in influencing the probe.
While Ajithkumar denied the allegations in his interim explanation, questioned the SIT’s conclusions and sought access to additional records before filing a detailed response, the State Police Chief found the explanation unsatisfactory and recommended disciplinary proceedings.
The government concluded that although supervisory intervention in an investigation is legally permissible, it must be exercised strictly in accordance with the law.
In this instance, it held that the alleged intervention had compromised the fairness of the investigation and undermined justice.
With the detailed order now in the public domain, attention is expected to shift to Ajithkumar’s next move.
Sources indicate that the suspended officer is likely to seek judicial relief, an option available to him under service rules, setting the stage for what could become the next chapter in one of Kerala’s most closely watched policing controversies.
–IANS
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