THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After a lull, factional feud within the police department has come to the fore once again with the scuffle between two senior officials at the police headquarters here on Friday.The Home Department was quick to order a probe by ADGP Mahesh Kumar Singla into the fight that took place between Assistant Inspector General (AIG-2) V Gopalakrishnan and DySP N A Rasheed, who is also the state president of the Police Service Officers Association. According to sources, the latter had gone to the office of the AIG-2 regarding a leave application. A verbal duel broke out between the duo which ended up in a fight.No police official was ready to come on record as none wishes to be a part of the tug-of-war between the two factions.On conditions of anonymity, a police official divulged: “Many applications regarding transfers and postings are pending before Gopalakrishnan. He has denied genuine requests even, which provoked a section of officers. “He is among the junior police officers at superintendent level. There was widespread discontent in the department when he was posted at the headquarters immediately after the UDF Government took power.” Though allegiance of police officials to political parties is not new, it has aggravated under the UDF Govt.Another official said that some police officials tend to shift their allegiance to the ruling front. “Some officers are there just to protect the interest of the ruling parties. There are orders of transfers from the headquarters which even the DGP is unaware of. Another officer of DGP rank has more role into it,” he said. “Most of the decisions are being taken by district Congress Committee presidents. A Leftist sub-inspector was transferred thrice after the UDF came to power. There were such practices at the time of LDF Government also. But now things have gone to such an extent that impartial officers have become desperate,” another source said.Strict guidelines to ensure political neutrality within the department were issued by the DGP on February 2 after posters were put up by police officials supporting the ruling front in various districts. “In police stations when civil police officers question or engage in arguments with sub-inspectors or circle inspectors there is a practice to send the former for intensive courses. Why hasn’t any action been taken when two officers engage in a scuffle insulting the entire police force when the practice otherwise is to first take action and then conduct an inquiry,” asked a civil police officer. Kerala Police Officers Association president Anandkumar declined to comment, saying: “It is an issue related to the service officers’ association. We do not know what exactly happened.”
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