Ajith Kumar out, S Sreejith in? Kerala govt moves to fill DGP-level vacancy

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government is considering senior IPS officer S. Sreejith for promotion to the rank of Director General of Police (DGP) as a vacancy is set to arise at the top level of the police hierarchy.

Kerala currently has four DGP-level posts, held by State Police Chief Ravada Chandrasekhar, Manoj Abraham, Yogesh Gupta and Fire and Rescue Services Chief Nitin Agrawal. The vacancy will arise when Agrawal retires later this month.

Why S Sreejith?

The government is looking at the seniority list to fill the vacant DGP post. Suresh Raj Purohit is the senior-most officer eligible for promotion, but he is currently on central deputation.

The next officer in line is M.R. Ajith Kumar. However, he is under suspension in connection with the alleged manipulation of a rescue operation case and is not being considered at present.

With Purohit unavailable and Ajith Kumar facing suspension, S. Sreejith has emerged as the next eligible officer. Sreejith is currently serving as the state's Prisons Chief.

A screening committee that met in December had submitted recommendations based on seniority and eligibility. Chief Minister is examining the file before taking a final decision.

Meanwhile, Ajith Kumar is pursuing legal action against his suspension. His petition is scheduled to be heard next month. As the legal process may take time, the government is considering the next available officer for the DGP-level vacancy.