Kerala has kept senior police officer M.R. Ajithkumar under suspension for another 120 days, prolonging a disciplinary case that stems from allegations tied to police action during the Nava Kerala Sadas programme in Alappuzha in December 2023. The order was issued on October 24, 2026, and concerns claims that the officer interfered in an investigation connected to the incident.
What the state government decided
Ajithkumar, a 1995-batch IPS officer of the Kerala cadre, was first suspended on July 24, 2026. The latest extension came after the Suspension Review Committee met on September 15, 2026, and recommended that the suspension continue for 120 more days. The government accepted that recommendation through the General Administration Department.
Officials said that allowing him to return to duty at this stage could affect the ongoing disciplinary proceedings and related investigations. The source does not indicate any change in the underlying case status beyond the extension order.
Basis of the allegations
The allegations centre on his alleged role while serving as ADGP (Law and Order). According to statements recorded by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) from earlier investigating officers, personnel were allegedly summoned and told to alter case diary records. The source presents these claims as allegations recorded by the SIT, not as a judicial finding.
Those claims are said to have contributed to the filing of a refer report, which reportedly protected security personnel attached to the then Chief Minister who were accused of assaulting protesters. The then Chief Minister had described the police action as a “rescue operation.” Ajithkumar has denied the charges.
Earlier action and service impact
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 was taken under the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969, with approval based on recommendations from the State Police Chief and Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, and 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 source says the extension keeps him out of active duty while the departmental inquiry and related proceedings continue.
Related police action in the case
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 matter remains politically sensitive because it arose from protests in which black flags were shown to the Chief Minister’s convoy during the previous Left Democratic Front government’s Nava Kerala Sadas programme.
