The Kerala government has defended its decision to suspend Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) M.R. Ajith Kumar, stating that the action was taken only after a complete investigation and in accordance with legal and administrative procedures. Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan said the government did not delay the process and that no officer could be suspended solely on the basis of media reports.
The case relates to allegations that M.R. Ajith Kumar interfered in the investigation into the alleged assault on Youth Congress workers in Alappuzha. The state government initiated action after findings emerged in the report submitted by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the matter.
According to the government, an independent investigation was ordered from the outset to ensure a fair inquiry, and no officer was held responsible without sufficient evidence.
Addressing a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan said the government did not act in haste or under political pressure. He stated that every administrative decision was taken in accordance with the prescribed rules and service procedures.
The Chief Minister said action had been taken against certain officials after the SIT's first report. However, he said the second report identified the alleged role of ADGP M.R. Ajith Kumar for the first time. Following this, the Director General of Police (DGP) examined the report and provided the officer an opportunity to present his response. The suspension order was issued only after the reply was received and all procedural formalities had been completed, he said.
The Chief Minister said that in a democratic system, disciplinary action against a government official must be based on facts and investigation reports rather than media reports. He stated that if the government had acted solely in response to public pressure before the investigation was completed, such action would not have withstood legal scrutiny. He said the prescribed procedure was followed at every stage.
The Chief Minister also referred to the decision of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), which declined to grant an immediate stay on the suspension order issued against the ADGP. According to him, this indicated that the procedure adopted by the government had, at the preliminary stage, met the applicable legal standard. He added, however, that the matter remains under judicial consideration and that the final decision will be taken by the competent judicial forum.
The government said the Special Investigation Team had been constituted earlier through a Cabinet meeting to conduct an impartial inquiry into the incident. It stated that action was taken against certain officials after their roles emerged in the first report. Following the emergence of additional facts during the subsequent investigation, the role of senior officers was also reviewed, leading to action against the ADGP.
Commenting on media coverage, the Chief Minister said some media organisations had earlier accused the government and the Home Department of protecting the officer concerned. He said that now that action had been taken after completion of the legal process, those making such allegations should also reflect on their claims. At the same time, he described the media as an important pillar of democracy and said conclusions should not be drawn in sensitive matters before all facts are established.
The matter continues to proceed through legal and administrative processes. If further facts emerge during the investigation, the concerned agencies may take additional action. The officer concerned also retains the right to defend himself under the law.
