ADGP may face criminal proceedings

Thiruvananthapuram: Additional director general of police (ADGP) M R Ajith Kumar is likely to face criminal proceedings for allegedly making a false statement implicating intelligence chief and ADGP P Vijayan in a gold smuggling case, according to top sources in the police department.
A confidential report submitted by state police chief Sheikh Darvesh Sahib reportedly concluded that Ajith Kumar's action amounts to a criminal offence under the Indian Penal Code and BNS. The statement in question was given during an internal inquiry based on allegations raised by former Nilambur MLA P V Anvar regarding smuggling activities through the Karipur airport.
Ajith Kumar reportedly claimed that Malappuram's former SP Sujith Das informed him about Vijayan's alleged links to the smuggling network. However, Das denied making any such statement, prompting Vijayan to approach the state govt seeking action. Vijayan is learned to have demanded either disciplinary proceedings against Ajith Kumar or permission to initiate legal action independently.
In response, the govt sought the police chief's opinion, which, according to sources, deemed Ajith Kumar's affidavit as deliberately false and criminal in nature. The police chief reportedly stated that the officer submitted a false sworn statement, thereby dragging another senior officer into a serious offence without basis a move that could warrant both civil and criminal charges.
This recommendation is being viewed as unprecedented, especially given Ajith Kumar's status as a trusted aide of chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Despite earlier controversies, including the Pooram festival policing dispute, the govt has so far refrained from taking disciplinary action, opting instead for a multi-agency inquiry.
The latest development comes at a politically sensitive time. Sheikh Darvesh Sahib is set to retire in July, and Ajith Kumar too is reportedly in the reckoning for the top post of state police chief. The decision now rests with the CM, and according to sources, both P Vijayan's legal options and the govt's response will be decisive in the coming days.