Once blamed for 1994 firing on CPM workers, Ravada A Chandrasekhar picked as new Kerala DGP

Earlier, a special Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, picked up Chandrasekhar from the list of three senior police officers empanelled by the UPSC as the next DGP, succeeding Shaik Darvesh Saheb, who retires on Monday (June 30).

Law and Order ADGP H Venkatesh IPS would hold the additional charge of the post of the DGP, till Chandrasekhar assumes charge, the government’s order said.

Expressing happiness, Chandrashekhar told a TV channel that he would soon come to the state to assume the new office and expressed hope that his earlier working experience in Kerala would be beneficial for his new stint.

Chandrasekhar, a native of Andhra Pradesh, has long innings in Central deputation. He is left with one year service as the state police chief, but the term will get extended to two years as per the Supreme court directive.

The appointment of Chandrasekhar as the state police chief has brought back the 1994 firing at Koothuparamba in which five workers of CPI(M)’s youth wing DYFI were killed and another worker bed-ridden (he died last year). The Koothuparamba firing happened during a protest organised by the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) against the then Cooperation Minister M V Raghavan, who was earlier with the CPI(M), opposing the Congress-led government’s self-financing educational institutions.

Chandrasekhar, who was then the assistant superintendent of police at Thalassery in Kannur district, was one of the police officers on the spot deputed for crowd control.

Referring to Chandrasekhar’s role in the Kuthuparamba police firing, CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan said he was not convicted by the court in the case. “The party has no role in the decision, which is taken by the government. We will stand by the government’s decision. No party leader has protested against the decision,” he said.

Senior CPI(M) leader P Jayarajan explained to the media in detail about the alleged police brutality towards the party cadres during the 1994 incident and said Chandrasekhar was one of the officers involved in the firing.

“We had staged protests against all officers involved in the incident. But his appointment is not a matter in which the party should adopt a political stand. It is not a political decision but an administrative one,” the CPIM leader from Kannur said.

The CPI(M) government which came to power in 1996 ordered a judicial probe to look into the role of police and revenue officials in the incident. The commission submitted its report against three officials who were found responsible for the police firing. Chandrasekhar, who assumed office as ASP Thalassery two days before the incident, was exonerated.

However, things took a turn against Chandrasekhar when police started a probe into the incident based on the findings of the judicial commission. A DIG-level probe listed Chandrasekhar as one of the accused. Chandrasekhar challenged the proceedings in the High Court, which in 2000 quashed the FIR against him.

“The officer hails from Andhra Pradesh and had joined the service only two days prior to the occurrence, thus he had no acquaintance with anybody. In obedience to the order of the superior authorities he had gone to the spot, therefore, the allegation that he connived with anybody or shared the common intention to commit murder is only a figment of imagination,” the High Court had said in its order.

The state government had filed an appeal against the order, but the Supreme court upheld the high court directive, giving relief for Chandrasekhar.

Others in the empanelled list were 1990-batch officer Nitin Agarwal, who serves as the Road Safety Commissioner after being repatriated to the parent cadre by the union government while serving as the Director General of the Border Security Force. The third IPS officer in the list was Yogesh Gupta, who is Director General of Fire and Rescue Services. While serving as the director of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, Gupta, who has a service till 2030, had invited the wrath of CPI(M) leaders over a probe into complaints involving party leaders.