Ex-Kerala DGP Senkumar Moves SC Against State’s Chief Secretary

Senkumar’s move comes five days after the apex court asked the state government to reinstate him.

Former Kerala Director General of Police. (Photo: Altered by The Quint)

Former Kerala Director General of Police TP Senkumar moved the Supreme Court on Saturday to begin contempt of court proceedings against the state government for not re-instating him as the police chief despite the court asking the administration to do so.

Senkumar has alleged that the state’s Chief Secretary Nalini Netto has shown reluctance in implementing the court’s order and has indulged in “wilful and deliberate disobedience” of the Supreme Court, according to a report in The Hindu.

“The intention of the Respondent Contemnor [Netto], who is the authority to issue orders of reinstatement, seems to delay the implementation wilfully so that the petitioner [Senkumar] will not get the fruits of the decree which he has got,” The Hindu quoted Senkumar as telling the court.

“The Contemnor is also conscious of the fact that once this Hon’ble Court closes for summer recess on 9 May 2017, it reopens only on 3 July 2017 which will make the petitioner remediless and thus frustrate the judgment of this Hon’ble Court,” The Hindu further quoted Senkumar as saying.

Senkumar’s move comes five days after the apex court ordered the Kerala government to reinstate him at the helm of the police force. The court had said that his removal in May last year was “arbitrary”.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is yet to take action in the matter. Vijayan, who is also the Home Minister, was presented a report from the Law Secretary PG Harindranath, who has recommended that Senkumar should be appointed without further delay. But he is learnt to have sought fresh legal advice from other experts.

The Vijayan government removed Senkumar in 2016 after a public outcry over alleged mishandling of a temple fire tragedy and a murder case, which the Supreme Court negated and ordered his reinstatement.

Senkumar is to retire from service on 30 June.

(With inputs from IANS and The Hindu.)