Thiruvananthapuram, October 24, 2026: The Kerala government has extended the suspension of Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) M.R. Ajithkumar by another 120 days. The decision pertains to allegations of interference in an investigation into police action against Youth Congress and Kerala Students Union (KSU) workers during the Nava Kerala Sadas programme in Alappuzha in December 2023.
Ajithkumar, a 1995-batch IPS officer of the Kerala cadre, was originally placed under suspension on July 24, 2026. The action followed findings of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted after the United Democratic Front (UDF) government assumed office. The SIT probed a case registered at Alappuzha South police station concerning the incident of December 15, 2023, during the outreach programme led by then Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
The Suspension Review Committee examined the matter on September 15, 2026. It found no grounds to revoke the suspension at that stage and recommended a further extension of 120 days. The government accepted the recommendation through an order issued by the General Administration Department. Officials indicated that the officer’s return to duty at this juncture could adversely affect the ongoing disciplinary proceedings and related investigations.
The underlying allegations centre on claims that Ajithkumar, who was then serving as ADGP (Law and Order), influenced the course of the original investigation. According to statements recorded by the SIT from earlier investigating officers, personnel were allegedly summoned and directed to alter case diary records.
This intervention is said to have contributed to the filing of a refer report, effectively shielding security personnel attached to the then Chief Minister who were accused of assaulting the protesters. The then Chief Minister had described the police action as a “rescue operation.” Ajithkumar has denied the charges.
At the time of his initial suspension, Ajithkumar was serving as Chairman and Managing Director of the Kerala State Beverages Corporation (BEVCO). The disciplinary action, taken under the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969, was approved following recommendations from the State Police Chief and Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, with the concurrence of Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan. The suspension also affected his prospects for promotion to the rank of Director General of Police.
The extension keeps the senior officer out of active duty while the departmental inquiry and related proceedings continue. Five police personnel, including members of the then Chief Minister’s security detail, had earlier been suspended on the basis of the SIT’s preliminary findings. The case remains politically sensitive, stemming from protests involving black flags shown to the Chief Minister’s convoy during the previous Left Democratic Front government’s Nava Kerala Sadas programme.
