Kerala Extends ADGP M.R. Ajithkumar’s Suspension by 120 Days Over Protest Probe Interference Allegations
Thiruvananthapuram, October 24, 2026: The Kerala government has extended by 120 days the suspension of Additional Director General of Police M.R. Ajithkumar, a 1995-batch IPS officer, in connection with allegations that he interfered in an investigation linked to police action against Youth Congress and Kerala Students Union (KSU) workers during the Nava Kerala Sadas programme in Alappuzha in December 2023.
The extension follows an earlier suspension order issued on July 24, 2026, after a Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up after the United Democratic Front government came to power examined the case registered at Alappuzha South police station. The case relates to the incident of December 15, 2023, when protesters were allegedly subjected to police action during the outreach programme led by then Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
The Suspension Review Committee considered the matter on September 15, 2026, and found no reason at that stage to revoke the suspension. It recommended that the suspension be continued for another 120 days, a recommendation the government accepted through an order issued by the General Administration Department. Officials said allowing the officer to return to duty now could affect the ongoing disciplinary proceedings and related investigations.
The allegations against Ajithkumar centre on claims that, while he was serving as ADGP (Law and Order), he influenced the original probe into the Alappuzha incident. According to statements recorded by the SIT from earlier investigating officers, police personnel were allegedly summoned and instructed to alter entries in the case diary.
That alleged intervention is said to have led to the filing of a refer report, which effectively shielded security personnel attached to the then Chief Minister who were accused of assaulting protesters. The then Chief Minister had described the police action as a “rescue operation.” Ajithkumar has denied the charges.
At the time of his first suspension, Ajithkumar was serving as Chairman and Managing Director of the Kerala State Beverages Corporation (BEVCO). The disciplinary action was taken under the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969, and was approved on the basis of recommendations from the State Police Chief and Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, with the concurrence of Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan. The suspension also affected his prospects for promotion to the rank of Director General of Police.
With the latest extension, the senior officer will remain away from active duty while the departmental inquiry and related proceedings continue. Five police personnel, including members of the then Chief Minister’s security detail, had earlier been suspended based on the SIT’s preliminary findings. The matter remains politically sensitive because it stems from protests in which black flags were shown to the Chief Minister’s convoy during the previous Left Democratic Front government’s Nava Kerala Sadas programme.
