Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 20 (PTI) A day after the Kerala government ordered the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau to investigate senior IPS officer M R Ajithkumar, officials on Friday confirmed that the agency would probe allegations levelled against him by LDF MLA P V Anvar, including accepting bribes and misappropriating wealth.
In addition to Ajithkumar, who is the ADGP (Law and Order), the agency will also investigate allegations against suspended IPS officer Sujith Das S, a former district police chief of Malappuram.
The vigilance probe into the IPS officers was recommended by state police chief Shaik Darvesh Saheb, who reported that Anvar's allegations prima facie have a vigilance angle, according to the government order on the matter.
The Nilambur MLA's accusations include the illegal cutting, removal, and misappropriation of valuable trees from the Camp of the District Police Chief, Malappuram, accepting bribes in connection with a case registered against the editor of an online media outlet by Ajithkumar, and the misappropriation of seized gold by Ajithkumar, Sujith Das, and members of the DANSAF team in Malappuram.
The Vigilance will also investigate Anvar's claim that Ajithkumar is constructing a palatial house worth crores of rupees, as well as allegations that the ADGP, along with Sujith Das and the DANSAF team in Malappuram, misappropriated wealth.
The fresh investigation was ordered amidst an ongoing inquiry against Ajithkumar and Sujith Das, which is currently being conducted by a team of top officials headed by the state police chief, based on Anvar's allegations.
Besides levelling allegations of wealth accumulation, Anvar had also accused Ajithkumar of breaching Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s trust and neglecting his responsibilities.
The government's decision to order a vigilance probe also comes amid the ongoing controversy surrounding Ajithkumar's 2023 meeting with two RSS leaders.
On Thursday, the CPI, a key constituent of Kerala’s ruling CPI(M)-led LDF, expressed displeasure over his continued tenure as the ADGP of law and order.
Sujith Das was suspended from service on September 5 after his purported conversation with Anvar surfaced, allegedly revealing internal issues in the police.
He had the conversation with Anvar while serving as Superintendent of Police in Pathanamthitta district.