Jacob Thomas’ successor too shunted out
ADGP Shanker Reddy, who was recently posted to the Vigilance, will hold the charge of the director
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kicking off a controversy in the top-level police appointments, ADGP Anil Kant, who took a stern stand against builders, has been shifted from the Fire and Rescue Services commandant- general post. DGP Loknath Behera, who was posted in his place, has refused to take up the post citing that it would lead to demotion.
ADGP Battalions Rishiraj Singh, who was promoted to the DGP-rank, was posted as DGP Prisons in place of Mr. Behera, while Mr Anil Kant was posted as ADGP Battalions.
Mr Anil Kant was posted as Fire and Rescue Services commandant-general in September after shunting out DGP Jacob Thomas for strictly enforcing the fire safety norms for high-rise buildings.
But Mr. Anil Kant also strictly enforced the norms and denied no-objection certificates to many high-rise residential apartments.
This has allegedly led to his ouster too. Meanwhile, no fresh posting was made to the Vigilance director post, which became vacant with DGP Vinson M. Paul's retirement on Monday.
ADGP Shanker Reddy, who was recently posted to the Vigilance, will hold the charge of the director. At present, three DGP-rank officers are in the state other than state police chief T.P. Senkumar.
They are Mr Jacob Thomas, Mr Loknath Behera and Mr Rishiraj Singh. None of them was considered for the Vigilance director post. Home department sources said that earlier also ADGP-rank officers had held the director post.
There were reports that government was considering Mr. Behera to the post. Mr Behera has already conveyed his resentment to Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala and Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson over the fresh posting.
He maintained that since the post of Fire and Rescue Services commandant –general was ex-cadre, it would be a sort of demotion for him unless it was made an en-cadre post. Otherwise, it could affect his service too, he said.
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