PINARAYI FACES THE HEAT

AN MLA'S EXPLOSIVE ALLEGATIONS EXPOSE THE DARK UNDERBELLY OF KERALA'S POLICE FORCE, DRAGGING EVEN THE CMO UNDER A CLOUD OF SUSPICION

- Jeemon Jacob

As the relentless monsoon rains lash Kerala's lush landscape, a different kind of storm is brewing in the state's political corridors. The Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) government finds itself caught in a deluge of controversy, with allegations as torrential as the downpour outside. It all began on August 30 with a press conference called by P.V. Anvar, a two-term Independent legislator from Nilambur in Malappuram district. Not only did the CPI(M)backed legislator unleash a flood of accusations against a senior police officer with close ties to the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), he also charged CM Pinarayi Vijayan's political secretary P. Sasi, who handles the home department on his behalf, with shielding corrupt cops. Over the next few days, Anvar kept firing fresh salvos, even releasing allegedly incriminating recorded phone conversations as evidence against additional director general of police (ADGP) M.R.Ajith Kumar and his purported aide, superintendent of police (SP) Sujith Das.