The shifting of District Police Chief (DPC) K. Sanjay Kumar Gurudin, seven months after he was posted here, as part of a major reshuffle of top police officers in the State has drawn flak from Opposition leaders, who allege that his removal at this juncture betrays the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)]’s attempt to make the police force partisan.
K.P. Philip took charge as the DPC on Friday. Mr. Gurudin, a 2005 batch IPS officer, had attracted resentment of political parties in the district, especially the ruling CPI(M), over his actions meant to ensure fair and unbiased policing in the wake of clashes between rival political parties, especially the CPI(M) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Such actions in cases of political violence led to the arrests of accused regardless of their political affiliations. He had also initiated preparation of detailed dossiers of anti-social elements in the district.
The Congress leadership that earlier alleged a bid to remove Mr. Gurudin because of his impartial actions has now raised concern that the transfer of the officer reflected the ‘narrow and partisan’ attitude of the CPI(M)-led government.
In a statement here, District Congress Committee president Satheeshan Pacheni said Mr. Gurudin was an officer who had acted impartially and won public support. The CPI(M)’s bid to use the police as a party tool would be strongly resisted, he added.
BJP district unit president P. Sathyaprakash, at a press conference here on Saturday, said Mr. Gurudin’s removal raised the suspicion that it was part of an attempt to bring the police force in the district under the control of the CPI(M). He said the BJP had never questioned the impartiality of Mr. Gurudin.
The BJP, however, had criticised the district police for the latter’s report on the confessional statement of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker Subeesh, who was arrested in connection with a murder case, that RSS workers had been involved in the murder of Muhammad Fazal at Thalassery.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which had investigated the case, had named CPI(M) functionaries, including local leaders Karayi Rajan and Karayi Chandrashekharan, as accused. Mr. Gurudin had earlier said that his report on the confessional statement of Subeesh was objective.
When contacted, Mr. Gurudin, who was on Saturday posted as Commandant of the Kerala Armed Police Battalion IV stationed here, said that as a police officer his tenure as DPC here for the last seven months had given him good experience. He had not experienced any political interference. “I did my best to ensure fair and unbiased policing,” he added.
