Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government on Wednesday approved the promotion of senior IPS officer ADGP M R Ajithkumar to the rank of Director General of Police (DGP), despite the officer's involvement in a political controversy over his meetings with RSS leaders.
Ajithkumar, a close ally of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, was previously stripped of his law and order duties in October due to the ongoing controversy and allegations surrounding his interactions with RSS leaders. Following the fallout, he was reassigned to the Armed Police Battalion.
However, the cabinet meeting chaired by CM Vijayan on Wednesday decided to elevate Ajithkumar to the DGP rank. The 1995-batch officer will now take on the top position in the police force. A statement from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) confirmed that the cabinet had approved the recommendations of the scrutiny committee regarding the promotion.
In addition to Ajithkumar, S Suresh, another 1995-batch officer, will also be promoted to DGP. The final list for top-rank promotions will be finalized after the appointment of Manoj Abraham, a 1994-batch officer. Tarun Kumar, a 2000-batch IPS officer, is set to be promoted to ADGP, while four officers from the 2007 batch will be promoted to the IG rank, the CMO added.
Ajithkumar faced severe criticism from opposition parties, including the CPI, for his meetings with senior RSS leaders last year. He was also accused of playing a role in the disruption of the Thrissur Pooram festival, allegedly to aid the BJP in winning the Lok Sabha seat from central Kerala. Independent MLA P V Anvar, who recently parted ways with the ruling LDF, made serious allegations against Ajithkumar, though the officer has denied the charges.
With PTI inputs