Govt in dilemma over filling DGP vacancy

Arjun Raghunath
The New Indian Express

03 Jan 2011

THIRUVANATHAPURAM: With Vigilance Director K P Somarajan, who is of DGP rank, retiring from service next month, the LDF Government will be in a dilemma in filling the vacancy of DGP which will arise.
Though Aravind Ranjan, S Pulikeshi and Netto Desmond are the frontrunners to the post, sources said that Netto Desmond, who is now serving in the Vigilance and AntiCorruption Bureau (VACB), stands the best chance of being promoted.
While Aravind Ranjan, who is the seniormost ADGP, is on Central deputation, the CBI chargesheet in the Civil Supplies scam will hinder ADGP Training S Pulikesi's chances. Pulikeshi is next to Aravind Ranjan in seniority. Police Department sources said that the chances for Aravind Ranjan returning to the state at this point of time is remote.
But what might save the day for Pulikeshi is the precedent set by the appointment of IAS officer P J Thomas, an accused in palmolein case, to the highly sensitive post of Chief Vigilance Commissioner, say sources close to Pulikeshi.
There are four posts of DGP in the state which are at present occupied by Jacob Punnose and K.G Premshanker, besides Siby Mathews and Somarajan.
Meanwhile, the Government is also likely to consider Siby Mathews to the post of Vigilance Director once Somarajan steps down.
A shuffle in the police is also in the offing as IG Thiruvananthapuram range A Hemachandran and IG Thrissur range Mohmmed Yasin are being promoted to the rank of Additional DGP. It is learnt that the Government is seriously considering the name of Hemachandran to the post of ADGPIntelligence. Siby Mathews, who was recently promoted to the rank of DGP and posted as Fire and Rescue Services CommandantGeneral, is still holding the charge of ADGPIntelligence. But he had requested the Government to relieve him from the charge of ADGP Intelligence.
Besides Hemachandran and Yasin, three other officers of the 1986 batch N Shanker Reddy, N C Asthana and Rajesh Dewan are also likely to be promoted to ADGP rank. While Shanker Reddy is serving as Kerala State Beverages Corporation managing director, Asthana and Rajesh Dewan are on deputation. The Screening Committee which met here the other day is learnt to have cleared the promotions and the next Cabinet may ratify it. IPS officers of the 1993 batch, including Civil Supplies Corporation Managing Director Yogesh Gupta, DIG Administration S.Gopinath and Kerala Police Academy Director Jose George, are also likely to be promoted from the rank of DIG to IG soon.