Setback for CM Vijayan's trusted cop as vigilance court rejects report in disproportionate assets case

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 14 (IANS) In a significant setback for Kerala Excise Commissioner and Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) M.R. Ajith Kumar, a court in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday rejected the Vigilance Department’s report granting him a clean chit in an illegal assets case.

The ruling could pave the way for further proceedings and potentially affect the prospects of Ajith Kumar, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s most trusted police official, for promotion to the rank of DGP.

The case stems from a petition filed by a person alleging that Ajith Kumar purchased land at Rs 70 lakh per cent in a posh Thiruvananthapuram area and is constructing a luxury residence using illicit funds.

The petitioner also accused the officer of receiving political support from the Chief Minister’s Political Secretary, P. Sasi.

The Vigilance Department, acting on a government directive, had earlier investigated the allegations and submitted a report exonerating the officer.

The Vijayan government accepted the findings.

However, the court, after examining the case diary, original investigation report, government orders, and witness statements, found grounds to dismiss the clean chit.

During proceedings, the petitioner argued that the investigation was compromised because it was conducted by officers working under Ajith Kumar’s authority.

He further claimed that key allegations — such as the purchase of land in the Pattom sub-registrar’s jurisdiction for Rs 33 lakh, the acquisition of a flat in Kawdiar for Rs 31 lakh, and its resale for Rs 65 lakh — were not properly investigated.

The court noted that the Vigilance SP had earlier submitted only a copy of the report without producing the original document, leading to doubts about the investigation’s integrity.

It directed that the complete, original report be placed before the court to address the petitioner’s concerns.

The case will now proceed further, potentially influencing both the officer’s career trajectory and the government’s handling of high-profile corruption allegations.

Incidentally, it was the then Left-supported Independent legislator P.V. Anvar who first raised these allegations and approached both Vijayan and the CPI-M state Secretary about the manner in which Ajith Kumar was having a free run, but both of them refused to go forward with his complaint.

This led to Anvar resigning his assembly seat, and in the consequent by-election, the Congress candidate won with a convincing margin.

Incidentally, last week the Kerala High Court had slammed Ajith Kumar for riding on a tractor to reach the famed Sabarimala temple, which is a violation of the court’s directives.

--IANS

sg/vd