IPS officers call on Kerala CM, regret negative image

Thiruvananthapuram: A section of senior IPS officers led by state police chief Loknath Behera on Wednesday called on the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and learnt to have expressed their concerns that the entire fraternity has been put in a bad light over the allegations regarding engaging cops for household works.

DC has reliably learnt that the chief minister advised them not to get demoralised by the aggressive reporting by the media, but wanted them to ensure that no officer availed the service of police personnel beyond their permissible limits.

He also offered moral support to the officers for the good works they do.

The officers told him that for the wrongdoing by some of their colleagues the media was creating an impression that all officers were putting their security officers and camp followers on their domestic chores.

They also expressed concerns that some officers themselves were leaking out information to the media.

While the IPS officers preferred to the tight-lipped on the meeting, sources at the chief minister's office said that the meeting discussed general issues including the present row over misuse of low-ranked men.

ADGP South-zone Anil Kanth and IG Thiruvananthapuram-range Manoj Abraham were among those who met the CM. Mr Behera took the initiative at the instance of the CM.

Police sources said that a section of civil police officers who work as security officers with IPS officers had also conveyed apprehensions to their higher-ups that the present row was causing defame to them also even as their bosses were not asking them to do any personal jobs.

Meanwhile, the stocktaking exercise at the police headquarters found about 950 civil police officers working with politicians, judges and IPS and IAS officers.