T.P. Senkumar held a book close to his chest when he stepped outside his home on Monday to react to his reinstatement as State Police Chief (SPC) by the Supreme Court (SC).
Its title, The Journey Continues , provided the ranking officer a convenient shield to fend off awkward questions regarding his resumption of office as SPC in the face of “fierce government antipathy.” He read out the title when asked about his future plan.
The Pinarayi Vijayan government had ousted Mr. Senkumar from his post last May and publicly faulted him for his handling of sensitive investigations, forcing the officer to move the court.
Mr. Senkumar later told The Hindu that the author of the book, Sri Madhukarnath, alias Mr. M, a proponent of interfaith harmony, had provided him much spiritual and philosophical succour during his “uphill and trying battle for justice.”
He described the verdict as momentous. It ensured a fixed minimum tenure of two years for honest officers. There will be more care when officers are posted or removed in the future. Truthful officers will enjoy an amount of legal protection. The fight was not for him alone.
Mr. Senkumar said at least three files submitted in the SC by the government in his case were “fudged” and the matter was “grave.” Truthful officers who are wronged rarely have the money for expensive legal counsel. He was lucky to have socially committed lawyers to help.
Approach to policing
Mr. Senkumar also laid bare his approach to policing. He said officers are bound to protect the “legal interests” of the government.
However, it is not their duty to be popular with politicians. Officers should possess the courage to tell the political executive the truth, however unpalatable or inexpedient. “Chumminess” to power centres should not be the measure of a police officer’s professionalism. It required integrity not to frame an innocent person in a sensational crime to save face or stave off public pressure. Under his watch, the police had extracted the DNA evidence that helped resolve the Perumbavoor rape-murder case.
