P.V. Anvar, MLA (file)
| Photo Credit: S. MAHINSHA
Left Democratic Front (LDF) Independent legislator P.V. Anvar, whose muckraking accusations resulted in an anti-corruption enquiry against Kerala Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Law and Order, M. R. Ajith Kumar demanded the ranking officer’s immediate removal from office to facilitate a free and independent probe.
Speaking to reporters in Malappuram on Friday (September 20, 2024), Mr. Anvar accused Mr. Kumar of misusing the police machinery under the latter’s command to ferret out law enforcers and private individuals who had informed the MLA about the top law enforcer’s alleged corruption, criminality and illegal amassment of wealth.
Mr. Anvar alleged that the “illegal parallel enquiry,” conducted without the Home department’s sanction, contradicted the police manual and stoked public scepticism about the integrity of the ongoing Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) enquiry against Mr. Kumar.
Mr. Anvar said the alleged attempt to erase evidence and intimidate potential witnesses was sufficient ground for the government to suspend Mr. Kumar pending completion of the probe.
Attacks CM’s political secretary
The LDF legislator, known for his combative statements, also targeted Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s political secretary P. Sasi. Mr. Anvar said, somewhat cryptically, that he “did not understand” what politics the secretary was playing.
Mr. Anvar accused Mr. Sasi of casting the Kerala government and Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] under a shadow of a doubt by not explaining, in a press release, the one-week delay in ordering a vigilance enquiry against Mr. Kumar, despite the government having received the State Police Chief’s (SPC) recommendation.
Mr. Anvar claimed that Mr. Vijayan bore the brunt of the accusation that a top-level bid to save the ADGP was afoot.
Mr. Anvar said he had made a written complaint against Mr. Sasi to CPI(M) State secretary M.V. Govindan.
He said the red tape had caused the delay, and Mr. Vijayan signed the order for the Vigilance probe the moment it landed on the Chief Minister’s desk.
Mr. Anvar said the Home Secretary and the Chief Secretary had vetted the SPC’s recommendation before submitting it to Mr. Vijayan.
Published – September 20, 2024 01:16 pm IST
