Thiruvananthapuram: There are indications that DGP Yogesh Gupta was removed from his post as Vigilance Director after initiating action in certain irregularities, including one involving former Kannur district panchayat president PP Divya.
The Vigilance had launched a preliminary inquiry into allegations that Divya had set up a benami (proxy) company which was awarded contracts from the district panchayat. It was found that a Vigilance officer was closely associated with Divya and that his brother was a director in the benami company. There are also reports that Divya’s husband had connections with the same company.
The Vigilance discovered that this company had purchased land at Palakkayam Thattu, a tourist destination in Kannur. Following the preliminary investigation, Yogesh Gupta had recommended registering a case and proceeding with a formal inquiry against Divya.
It is also said that the Vigilance Director had submitted a letter opposing the reinstatement of a range officer who had been arrested by the Vigilance and duly suspended by the Forest Department. Reportedly, there was resistance to this recommendation from officials in the Minister’s office.
Additionally, extensive irregularities were found in the sales records of a public sector enterprise, and permission was sought from the government to file a case. The Vigilance chief, who is also a chartered accountant, had detected financial discrepancies in the accounts of several other public sector entities as well. These matters were reported to the government with a request to proceed legally, which is believed to have contributed to the backlash against Yogesh Gupta.

Other police department changes:
► ADGP Balram Kumar Upadhyay, who was in charge of prisons, has been appointed as Director of the Police Academy.
► ADGP (Law and Order) H. Venkatesh has been appointed, which led to the transfer of Mahipal Yadav, who was Excise Commissioner, to the post of Crime Branch chief.
► G. Sparjan Kumar, who was IG of Intelligence, has been made IG of Crime Branch Unit One in Thiruvananthapuram.
► IG S. Prakash of the Kozhikode Crime Branch has been appointed as Coastal Police IG.
► K. Sethu Raman, who was Director of the Kerala Police Academy, has been made the head of prisons.
► Kochi Crime Branch IG A. Akbar has been appointed as IG of Internal Security.