Thiruvananthapuram: Bypassing the police headquarters, three top officers, including DGP Tomin J Thachankary, have submitted their biodata directly to the Department of General Administration (GAD) for considering them as the next police chief.
The biodata was submitted directly even as the headquarters was to forward to the Centre a list of 12 officers, who may be considered to head the State police department. The names of the three officers, who had bypassed the headquarters, have been included in the list.
Earlier, the police headquarters courted controversy after it had held back for over a month a vigilance report against Thachankary and a Crime Branch report against Vigilance Director Sudesh Kumar.
The State Home Department had instructed the police chief to hand over the biodata of officers included in the list of probables, and their service records.
The special cell officers in the police headquarters replied, saying they were yet to get the biodata of three officers, including Thackankary. The police chief submitted a list, barring the three officers, to the GAD.
Indications said Thachankary refrained from submitting his biodata to the headquarters since the vigilance report against him had been held back.
After receiving the reply from the special cell, the Secretariat asked the three officers to directly submit their biodata.
Based on the directive, Thachankary, currently the Managing Director of Kerala Financial Corporation, and Additional Director-Generals of Police (ADGPs) Ravada A Chandrasekhar and Sanjeeb Kumar Patjoshi submitted their biodata to the GAD.
Both the ADGPs are on central deputation. All three biodata were later e-mailed to the police headquarters.
DGP Loknath Behera has directed the Crime Branch chief to wind up an assault case against the daughter of Sudesh Kumar based on the Crime Branch manual.
The directive might go against Sudesh Kumar, since the Crime Branch would have to collect more evidence as mandated by its manual, and file a chargesheet. So far, efforts were on to settle the case without the filing of the chargesheet.
Special Protection Group (SPG) Director Arun Kumar Sinha topped the list of the State’s next probable police chief. He might continue in Delhi since he has been close to the Prime Minister, besides heading the latter’s security detail. Additionally, he was also being considered to head the Border Security Force.
Thachankary and Sudesh Kumar ranking second and third in seniority after Sinha might have possibly sparked several controversies over the list. All three belong to the 1987 batch of IPS officers.
List to be forwarded soon
The list of officers who may be considered to head the State police department after the present incumbent Loknath Behera, was yet to be forwarded to the Centre.
The Department of General Administration has been busy working on the list, so that it could be forwarded to the Centre at the earliest.
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) would short-list the officers with the mandatory experience of at least 30 years’ in service.
A list of 12 officers from batches between 1987 and 1991 would be forwarded to the UPSC. The commission would return to the State a short-list of three officers. A committee, including the Chief Secretary and Secretary (Home), would select the new DGP.
List of probable officers
Besides Sinha, Thachankary and Sudesh Kumar, the list also included B Sandhya (Director-General, Fire and Rescue Services); Anil Kanth (Commissioner, Road Safety); Nitin Agarwal (on central deputation); S Aananthakrishnan (Commissioner, Excise); K Padmakumar (ADGP, Armed Police Battalion); Sheikh Darvesh Saheb (Director, Police Academy); Ravada M Chandrasekhar (on central deputation); and Sanjeeb Kumar Patjoshi (on central deputation).
