Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday ordered the suspension of former Malappuram and Pathanamthitta Superintendent of Police Sujith Das. He was one of Nilambur MLA P V Anvar's targets. Along with ADGP M R Ajith Kumar, Das had also been accused of serious official misconduct by Anvar.
Besides the accusations -- the SP profited from gold smuggling through Karipur Airport and was behind the disappearance of trees from the SP's camp office in Malappuram -- Anvar had also released an audio clip of a WhatsApp conversation he had with the SP.

The most damning part in the conversation was the SP pleading with Anvar to withdraw a complaint the MLA filed against him and saying that he would be forever indebted to him. The SP is also heard speaking in the most derogatory fashion against some of his seniors.

Right after the WhatsApp clip was out, it was widely felt that Das would be suspended. It did not happen even after the Chief Minister announced a probe into the allegations of police misconduct. Das was removed from the post of the Pathanamthitta SP but, instead of suspension, was asked to report at the Police Headquarters in the capital. He was, however, not given any specific post.

Though the entire episode smacked of preferential treatment by the CM, top police sources said that Das, ironically, was spared till now in the interest of fairness. The CM did not want to remove the ADGP from his post and if the SP alone was punished, it would have looked like double standards.

The CM is also said to have told Anvar that Das could be suspended only after plugging certain legal loopholes. The latest decision to suspend the SP has been taken on the basis of a report submitted by the State Police Chief, Shaik Darvesh Saheb. The report states that the SP had committed grave violation of rules.