Kerala DGP violates service rules in providing security to UAE Consulate

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government's decision to assign police personnel for the protection of the UAE Consulate General in Thiruvananthapuram is in serious violation of existing regulations as it went ahead with the move without seeking the permission of the external affairs ministry.

The Consulate officials had written to Kerala DGP Loknath Behera seeking security. By law, the DGP must have sent the letter to the Ministry of External Affairs for approval. However, it is learned that the security personnel were deployed without the ministry's permission.

Behera's action is in violation of the All India Service Rules of 1968, which bar civil servants from communicating directly with foreign diplomats, say those in diplomatic circles.

M Sivasankar, the former principal secretary of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and former IT secretary, was suspended for violating these rules, they said. Vijayan decided to suspend him on July 16 after he was questioned by the Customs officials in connection with the gold smuggling case at the Trivandrum International Airport. Sivasankar is alleged to have had links with the key accused in the case Swapna Suresh, P S Sarith Kumar and Sandeep Nair.

The established protocol states that all security decisions for diplomats must be taken in consultation with the Ministry of External Affairs and carried out only with its approval.

If any diplomatic representative fears a security threat, then it must be formally notified to the Protocol Division of the Ministry of External Affairs. They are prohibited from directly communicating with state governments concerned.

Security has been provided at the Chinese embassy and the Pakistan High Commission office due to security concerns. Indian offices in those countries also have been given security.

The security measures provided to diplomatic officials in India will be similar to what Indian officials get in the country of the diplomat in question, foreign affairs expert TP Srinivasan told Manorama Online.

For foreign embassies facing security threats, the Delhi Police provides security outside the premises. But the security inside is provided by the security forces of the respective countries.

The American military is responsible for the security of the staff of the US embassy. When he was posted in Kenya, his security details were taken care of by the Delhi police, Srinivasan said.

In Canada, the Indian diplomats have been provided security for years due to threat from the Khalistan separatists, he said.

The UAE Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram started functioning in October 2016.  

In June 2017, officials at the Consulate demanded security for the consul general and a police officer was assigned for the job. Subsequently, the service was extended each year at the request of the consulate general.

The last police official to be assigned for the job was Jayaghosh. But, the NIA is now investigating his likely involvement in the Trivandrum Airport gold smuggling case. Swapna and Sarith, the main accused, are former employees of the Consulate.

Jayaghosh was working as a gunman of the UAE Consul General for three years. But, after the Consul General returned to UAE due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rashid Khamis Al-Shameli, an attaché with the consulate, became in charge. Following this, Jayaghosh had returned his service pistol to the Armed Reserve Camp in Thiruvananthapuram.

The diplomatic baggage that was seized with the gold at the Trivandrum Airport was addressed to Al-Shameli. On July 16, a few days after the NIA arrested Swapna and Sandeep Nair, the fourth accused in the case, Jayaghosh’s wife complained to the police that he was missing. He was, however, found the next day near his home with cuts on his wrist. The investigating agencies suspect he had staged a suicide attempt to cover up his links to the smuggling operations.

Behera did not pick up calls by Onmanorama to get his version.