T.P. Senkumar on Saturday capped his historic legal battle against his “arbitrary” removal as Kerala State Police Chief (SPC) by assuming the very office from which he was ousted by the Pinarayi Vijayan government in May last.
Riding high on a hard-won Supreme Court order that at once overturned his summary ejection and severely circumscribed the political executive’s power to execute transfers at whim, Mr. Senkumar arrived in full official regalia at the State Police Headquarters (PHQ) at 4.30 p.m.
He inspected the ceremonial guard of honour reserved for police chiefs.
A police brass band proclaimed his “comeback” after an unintended hiatus of 10 months. Many fellow officers present said they viewed Mr. Senkumar’s return as an emphatic assertion of the Supreme Court’s resolve to insulate the police from political pressure and extraneous influence.
One of a kind
The apex court had powerfully expounded the principle in the 2006 Prakash Singh case. However, governments often failed to imbibe its spirit.
Mr. Senkumar’s reinstatement, by all accounts, is one of a kind in the country. It is widely viewed as a reiteration of the Supreme Court’s oft-quoted observation that “a police officer is not a servant of anyone, save of the law itself”.
The police chief said he did not foresee a path of confrontation with the State government.
Speaking to the media, he said he had sought the permission of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over phone before assuming office.
“I’m the head of an important department. As a public servant I will work for the betterment of the people and the government I am duty-bound to serve,” he said.
Fielding questions on his “disaffected” official relationship with Chief Secretary Nalini Netto, who he had blamed for his removal as SPC last May, he said he saw no impediment in forging a working relationship.
He added that he would not speak on some aspects because it would amount to commenting on matters under judicial consideration.
