Thiruvananthapuram: In a first change in the police top brass after the LDF government assumed power, B Sandhya has been posted as additional director general of police (south-zone) replacing K Padmakumar.
The cabinet which met for the first time on Wednesday had decided to entrust the probe into the murder of Dalit law student Jisha to a new team led by Ms Sandhya who was serving as ADGP (modernization). Mr Padmakumar has not been no fresh posting.
The shifting of Mr Padmakumar came in the backdrop of allegations raised by the CPM leaders that the police was trying to sabotage the Jisha murder probe. Even Mr Pinarayi Vijayan before assuming the chief minister’s post had alleged that top police officers had a role in sabotaging the case.
Meanwhile, police sources said Ms Sandhya was posted as ADGP (south zone) as the probe was still with the local police and hence warranted such a posting. The government has not decided on a fresh posting to Mr Padmakumar as the new government could be contemplating effecting more changes. Mr Vijayan had on the eve of taking up the new assignment said the police has become a tool to protect criminals.
However, sources close to the government said that a change in state police chief was quite remote. "Mr. T P Senkumar is an officer with good track record in policing and he did not have any known political leniency,” the sources said. “Moreover, there was no better choice than him among the senior-most officials.”
Many senior police officers made courtesy calls on the new chief minister on Thursday. It is understood that Mr Vijayan would be soon convening a meeting of senior police officers to convey the agendas and priorities of the LDF government.
