Monday’s Supreme Court order directing the Kerala Government to restore the services of ousted Director General of Police TP Senkumar has come as a huge legal and political setback for the 11-month-old CPI(M)-led lDF regime just when the State police has been receiving flak on a regular basis over the alleged lapses on their part in investigations of serious cases.
The person affected most by the Apex Court verdict on Senkumar’s reinstatement is none other than Marxist Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who is holding the Home portfolio and who had levelled serious allegations — most of which were of political nature —against him inside the State Assembly and outside.
That the court order requires it to restore the services of Senkumar, whom it had transferred from the position of DGP (law and Order) immediately after it assumed office last year even when it was unable to provide a plausible explanation for the action is a big embarrassment for the Government and for Pinarayi, say observers.
Responding to the Supreme Court order in Kannur, Pinarayi said, “let us get the copy of the verdict. We will take the required legal action after studying it,” while State CPI(M) secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said, “The Government is bound to abide by the Judiciary’s orders. There will be no confrontation with the Judiciary.”
Quoting the court’s observations on the illegality of Senkumar’s transfer, Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said, “It is a big setback for Pinarayi and his Government. Pinarayi does not have any moral, legal or political right to continue as Chief Minister. He should resign immediately keeping in mind that Keralites are seeing everything.”
Expressing happiness at the Supreme Court verdict, Senkumar said, “This verdict is a reminder that officials who fulfill their duties honestly should not be persecuted.” Asked about returning to service, Senkumar said that it was now up to the Government to take a decision on this and that he would wait till the Government implement the order.
The lDF Government had ousted Senkumar as DGP (law and Order) on the basis of the alleged lapses in the cases pertaining to the brutal rape and murder of Jisha, a young law student, and the fireworks tragedy at the Puttingal Devi temple in Kollam in April last year in which 110 people were killed. However, the court did not find this argument as having any merit.
Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, during whose tenure both the Jisha murder and the Puttingal tragedy had occurred, said, “Senkumar has got justice” adding that he was an efficient police officer.
The Supreme Court order has come at a time when the Government, the Chief Minister and the State police have been coming under fire on a regular basis for the lapses on the part of the police currently headed by loknath Behera.