The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Kochi Bench, has refused to stay the suspension of senior IPS officer M.R. Ajith Kumar, who was suspended from service for allegedly sabotaging the probe into the controversial Alappuzha “rescue operation” assault case.
A Division Bench of the Tribunal, headed by Justice Haripal, refused to grant an interim stay on the government’s suspension order, noting that there was prima facie evidence of misconduct that justified the disciplinary action.
The Tribunal rejected Ajith Kumar’s plea seeking a stay on his suspension, accepting the government’s stand that he is unfit to be the Director General of Police (DGP) and had committed serious offences.
Ajith Kumar approached the Tribunal with an urgent petition, contending that his suspension order was illegal and seeking a stay on it. He submitted that officers junior to him would be promoted when the new DGP appointments are made at the Cabinet meeting scheduled for Wednesday.
However, the government argued that Ajith Kumar had attempted to sabotage the investigation and was therefore unfit to be appointed to the rank of DGP. State Attorney Anoop V. N. argued that his actions were aimed at denying justice to the victims, including those in cases related to the Alappuzha rescue operation.
Ajith Kumar’s counsel argued that, since the police department is under the Chief Minister, the suspension order should have been signed by the Chief Minister. They contended that the order signed by the Chief Secretary on behalf of the Governor was not legally valid.
Senior IPS officer M.R. Ajith Kumar was suspended from service on Thursday after a Special Investigation Team (SIT) found him guilty of sabotaging the probe into the controversial Alappuzha “rescue operation” assault case.
The disciplinary action is based on a damning report by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by SP Shoukath Ali. The investigation revealed that Ajith Kumar used his official position to derail the case involving the brutal assault on Youth Congress and KSU workers by the personal security staff of former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan during the Nava Kerala Sadas in 2023.
The SIT found that Ajith Kumar actively undermined the investigation. He summoned the investigating officers to his office and allegedly forced them to manipulate the case diaries.
Additionally, key evidence, including forensic data and witness statements, was altered to shield the accused security personnel from accountability. The SIT report concluded that his intervention was a deliberate attempt to weaken the prosecution’s case before it reached the court.
The suspension order came just days before July 31, 2026, when Ajith Kumar was scheduled to be promoted to the prestigious rank of DGP. Under standard service rules, the initiation of disciplinary proceedings automatically halts career advancement.
At the time of his suspension, he was serving as the Managing Director of the Kerala State Beverages Corporation (BEVCO), a post to which he had been transferred after being sidelined from law-and-order duties.