Shuffle row: Kerala police posting in error mode

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: There are errors galore in the recent police posting orders, the latest being the appointment  of a DGP-rank officer as ADGP. Top government officials said that steps were on to correct the 'errors.' DGP (Headquarters) Rajesh Dewan received a shock as he was posted as ADGP (North zone) on Monday. While his junior colleague Mohammed Yasin, who is also in the DGP rank, was shifted to the post of ADGP (Intelligence), the order said that the DGP rank will be retained. However, in the case of Rajesh Dewan, the DGP rank was not retained.

Chief secretary S.M. Vijayanand said that it was an error and that steps were already initiated to correct it. Mr. Dewan expressed hope that the government would retain his DGP title. Meanwhile, the posting of a DGP rank officer in the post of ADGP (North zone) may also lead to an imbalance as the South zone is headed by an ADGP-rank officer. Meanwhile, as per the transfer order issued on Monday,   Mr G. Lakshman was posted as IG (Security) in place of Mr Vijaya Sreekumar. However, Mr. Sreekumar was holding the post of IG (Internal Security), while the post of IG (Security) was lying vacant for quite some time.

In an order issued earlier this month effecting the shuffle of superintendents of police last week, Uma Behera was posted as SP at Vigilance Special Investigation Unit (SIU) in Kozhikode even as there was no Vigilance SIU in Kozhikode. Similarly R. Nishanthini was posted as SP in Vigilance SIU in Thiruvananthapuram even as SPs at none of the two SIUs in Thiruvananthapuram were transferred.

These two mistakes were rectified in the order issued on Monday by posting Uma Behera as SP Vigilance Northern range in Kozhikode and R. Nishanthini as SP Vigilance special cell in Thiruvananthapuram. The transfer orders of IPS officers are issued by the general administration department as per the recommendation of the home department. Meanwhile, R. Sreelekha, who was shifted from ADGP (Intelligence) post after a brief tenure of seven months, said that the reports that she was shifted for inefficiency of the intelligence wing was baseless.