Kerala government in a quandary over DGP appointment

Published 30 July 2026 · politics

With Director General of Kerala Fire and Rescue Services Nitin Agrawal set to retire on Friday, the State government finds itself in a quandary over

With Director General of Kerala Fire and Rescue Services Nitin Agrawal set to retire on Friday, the State government finds itself in a quandary over appointing the next Director General of Police (DGP), with developments involving the two senior-most contenders complicating the succession process. The race for the top police post first took an unexpected turn with the suspension of Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) M.R. Ajith Kumar, who had been widely considered the front-runner for promotion. Kumar was suspended after disciplinary action was initiated against him over allegations that he attempted to interfere with the investigation into the alleged assault on Youth Congress workers by former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s security personnel during the Nava Kerala Sadas outreach programme in Alappuzha in 2023.

Clean chit quashed Attention had subsequently shifted to ADGP S. Sreejith, the present Director General of Kerala Prisons and Correctional Services and the next senior-most officer in the line of succession. However, his prospects have suffered a setback after the Kerala High Court quashed a clean chit issued by former Additional Chief Secretary of the Home and Vigilance department Bishwanath Sinha, who is the present Chief Secretary, in connection with allegations that he had undertaken a foreign trip without obtaining prior government permission. The latest development has cast uncertainty over the process of selecting the next State Police Chief as both officers who were seen as leading contenders are now facing separate hurdles.

During the previous government’s tenure, a screening committee that met in December had recommended two 1995-batch IPS officers, Suresh Raj Purohit and Mr. Kumar, for appointment as DGP. However, Mr. Purohit continues on Central deputation and is not expected to return to the State until January 2027, making Mr. Kumar the likely choice until his suspension. Sources in the Home department said the government would have to carefully examine the prevailing circumstances before taking a final decision on the appointment. While service rules provide that if the senior-most eligible officer is unavailable or ineligible, the opportunity can pass to the next officer in the seniority list, the recent developments have made the succession process less straightforward.

“No fresh screening committee is required for the promotion process. If the senior-most eligible officer is ineligible, the opportunity automatically passes to the next officer in the seniority list,” an official said. He added that promotion can be withheld if an officer is under suspension, faces departmental proceedings or has been charge-sheeted in a criminal case under the service rules.