Pooram row: Kerala government awaits crime branch report to take a call on Ajith Kumar
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After State Police Chief Shaik Darvesh Saheb filed his report on former Law and Order ADGP M R Ajith Kumar's alleged lapses during the 2024 Thrissur Pooram, all eyes are now on the outcome of the crime branch investigation on the conspiracy behind the Pooram fiasco.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had announced a three-tier probe -- one by Shaik, one by the crime branch headed by ADGP H Venkatesh and another by DGP Manoj Abraham -- after the high-level team headed by Shaik had reported lapses from the part of Ajith in Pooram handling.
Manoj, who probed the lapses of officials from various departments fielded for Pooram duty, had earlier filed a report with the government.
The crime branch investigation, sources said, is nearing completion and a report is expected soon. The State Police Chief's report filed with the government on Monday reportedly carried critical remarks on Ajith acknowledging lapses from him.
Despite being in Thrissur, he did not attend the calls of minister K Rajan when the pooram was disrupted. The officer was not present during the night when the untoward incidents unfurled and the report mentioned that the officer did not perform his responsibility. The state government, it's been learnt, will decide on further course of action against Ajith only after perusing the crime branch report.
The UDF has been pushing the allegation that the Pooram was sabotaged to give electoral mileage to NDA Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency candidate Suresh Gopi.
That the fiasco occurred only days prior to the Lok Sabha poll and Suresh's comfortable win lend further weight to the allegation.
Ajith, who was in Thrissur when the unsavoury episode unravelled, was accused of turning a blind eye to the incident.
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