Setback for Kerala govt: CAT orders Vigilance clearance for top IPS officer Yogesh Gupta

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government faced a major administrative setback on Tuesday as the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) directed it to issue a mandatory Vigilance clearance certificate to senior IPS officer Yogesh Gupta within five working days, ending months of delay that have stalled his career prospects.

The directive follows repeated reminders from the Union Home Ministry, which requires the clearance for considering officers for deputation to top national agencies. Despite 13 applications from Gupta and four separate CAT directives, the state government had failed to act, instead moving him across various posts.

Each time questions were raised, officials avoided direct replies, leaving the officer in bureaucratic limbo. Gupta, currently serving as Director General of Police, has found himself sidelined in Kerala’s power corridors after falling out of favour with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

A rare blend of policing and financial expertise, Gupta is both an IPS officer and a qualified cost and chartered accountant, and had earlier earned the confidence of successive governments. He served multiple terms as Managing Director of the Kerala State Beverages Corporation — the sole wholesaler of liquor and beer in the state.

The turning point in Gupta’s career came during his tenure as head of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB). In a move that rattled the establishment, he submitted case files related to K.M. Abraham, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, directly to the Kerala High Court.

The High Court subsequently ordered a CBI probe against Abraham in a disproportionate assets case, though the Supreme Court later stayed the investigation. The fallout was swift: Gupta was removed from the Vigilance post and reassigned first to the Fire and Rescue Services, and later shifted again, signalling a sharp decline in influence.

Since then, his Vigilance clearance remained blocked despite multiple reminders to Chief Secretary A. Jayathilak and even a complaint Gupta filed with the Chief Minister’s Grievance Cell. Ironically, Gupta has previously served full tenures with both the CBI and ED.