Ravada A. Chandrasekhar is new Kerala State Police Chief
The Kerala Cabinet, which met virtually on Monday (June 30, 2025) under the chairmanship of Chief Minster Pinarayi Vijayan, decided to appoint Director General of Police (DGP) Ravada A. Chandrasekhar as the new State Police Chief (SPC).
The decision ends weeks of speculation over the successor to incumbent SPC Shaik Darvesh Saheb, who retires today (June 30).
#Kerala#DGP Sheikh Darvesh Sahib during his farewell parade at SAP ground in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday
📸 @nirmalharindranpic.twitter.com/7mNWaPy6G4 — The Hindu - Kerala (@THKerala) June 30, 2025
A 1991-batch officer of the Kerala cadre, Mr. Chandrasekhar currently serves as the Special Director in the Intelligence Bureau. He has been asked to return to Kerala from New Delhi to assume charge at the earliest. In the interim, sources indicate that a senior officer may temporarily head the force until his arrival.
Key posts
Mr. Chandrasekhar, a native of West Godavari in Andhra Pradesh, began his career in Kerala as Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in Thalassery. Over the years, he has held key posts, including Deputy Inspector General of Thrissur and Kochi Ranges, and the Commissioner of Police, Thiruvananthapuram City. He also served a stint with the United Nations on deputation, before his repatriation to the post of Inspector General, State Crime Records Bureau.
Koothuparamba incident
The CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) apparently chose to disregard the potential fallout of appointing Mr. Chandrasekhar, whose involvement in the Koothuparamba firing incident of November 25, 1994, as the then ASP, had made him an adversary of CPI(M) workers. Despite being implicated in the case, the officer and others had been acquitted by the Kerala High Court in 2012.
Five Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) workers were killed, and six others were injured after the police opened fire on a protest against the then United Democratic Front (UDF) government's educational policy.
Mr. Chandrasekhar, who was second in the shortlist recommended by the Union Public Service Commission, pipped DGPs Nitin Agrawal and Yogesh Gupta to the top post. The State government also reportedly considered DGP Manoj Abraham and Additional DGP M.R. Ajith Kumar, who faced criticism over the Thrissur Pooram fiasco, for the role.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Man opens fire in Agra, held in Lucknow after 350km chase
1 2 3 Lucknow: In a dramatic chain of events spanning over 350 kilometres, a man who opened fire in Agra was chased down and arrested by Lucknow Police after a high-speed getaway on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway. The shooter, astonishingly, turned out to be a 45-year-old LIC agent, Pankaj Kumar Singh, from Azamgarh. According to officials, Pankaj fired multiple rounds from his licensed .32 calibre Nirbheek MK-IV revolver in a public area of Agra, causing panic among bystanders. Soon after the firing, he fled in a grey car (DL 4C AW 7152) along with his associate, Yogesh Chauhan (45), a resident of Aaml Kheda, Agra. Acting on an all-points alert under Operation All-Out, police teams in Lucknow began rigorous highway checks. The car was first intercepted near a toll barrier on the outskirts of Lucknow. Yogesh, seated on the passenger side, was detained immediately. But as police began questioning, Pankaj suddenly switched to the driver's seat, smashed through the toll boom, waved his revolver at the cops, and sped away in a daring escape. Unfazed, the Lucknow Commissionerate's surveillance team tracked his movements in real-time using mobile tracking. Police teams from Manaknagar and Kakori laid a second trap near R.K. Marriage Lawn. This time, the car was successfully intercepted. Pankaj was caught, and his weapon—used in the Agra firing—was seized along with three empty shell casings. "During interrogation, he confessed to the firing incident in Agra and admitted trying to flee via the Expressway. He had allegedly booked the vehicle via a local vendor and used it for both travel and escape. Agra Police confirmed that a case has been lodged at Tajganj police station and have taken custody of the accused for further proceedings," said joint commissioner (law and order) Babloo Kumar. The accused confessed to have opened multiple fires to impress bystanders.
Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Indian Express
Delhi: Mechanic falls to death from 8th floor while servicing AC
A mechanic fell to his death from the 8th floor of a building, while servicing an air conditioner, in the Netaji Subhash Place area, the Delhi Police said. The incident took place at Agarwal Cyber Plaza, officers said. According to police, the deceased, Ram Sevak (32), a resident of Wazirabad, worked at a Shalimar Bagh-based AC repair and service shop. On Monday afternoon, police said, the victim, along with four colleagues — Pradeep Kumar, Bharat Bhushan, Jagdish and Chandan — went to the Agarwal Cyber Plaza to install and service some ACs as an office on the 8th floor was undergoing renovation. 'Ram was cleaning the outdoor part of an AC on the 8th floor. That's when his foot slipped and he fell. His colleagues ran down and rushed him to Saroj Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival,' Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest Delhi) Bhisham Singh said. Police said they have registered a case of death due to negligence against unknown persons, as the initial investigation showed that Ram was working without any protective gear. Last month, a 30-year-old worker died at a metal factory in the Mandoli Industrial area. He was on the second floor of the building when, suddenly, he slipped and fell, landing on top of a rolling machine that severed his neck. In this case, too, police had registered a case of death due to negligence against unknown persons. 'The contractor, along with other people associated with the factory, was questioned. We are also looking into safety measures deployed at the facility and working conditions of workers,' a police officer had said earlier. The worker, Vikas, lived in the Rahul Garden area of Loni, Ghaziabad, with his pregnant wife. Police officers had said the victim had been working at the factory since February after he was hired by a local contractor.
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Ravada A Chandrasekhar is new Kerala police chief
Thiruvananthapuram: State govt appointed senior IPS officer Ravada A Chandrasekhar as the new state police chief. This marks a full-circle journey for the officer who, nearly three decades ago, stood at the centre of one of Kerala's most controversial police actions — the Koothuparamba firing. A 1991-batch IPS officer, Chandrasekhar began his career in Kerala as assistant superintendent of police (ASP), Thalassery. Just days into his first assignment, on Nov 25, 1994, five DYFI activists were killed when police opened fire on protesters attempting to block the then cooperation minister M V Raghavan at Koothuparamba. The incident became a political flashpoint and triggered a judicial inquiry by the Padmanabhan Nair commission. When LDF govt came to power in 1996, the commission's recommendations led to criminal cases being registered against several persons, including Raghavan, DSP Hakim Bathery, deputy collector T T Antony and Chandrasekhar. Amid the institutional fallout, Chandrasekhar became one of the more isolated figures in the force. Speaking to TOI, former DGP Vinson M Paul, who was appointed SP (Kannur) after Koothuparamba firing and under whom Chandrasekhar continued as ASP, recalled the isolation the young officer faced. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo "After the incident, there was a time when many tried to distance themselves from him, especially as govt moved to prosecute him. He was not even welcomed in the rooms of many officials. He underwent a lot of physical and financial stress till he finally won the case in the high court," said Paul. Another senior officer familiar with the events recalled how Chandrasekhar — newly posted and unfamiliar with the ground realities — was named in connection with the police action. "The newly appointed ASP had no role or clue about what was unfolding. The stone pelting was intense. When the firing had to be put on record, it was shown that the ASP had a role in the firing even though it was the executive magistrate who ordered the police to open fire at the violent crowd," said the officer on condition of anonymity. Chandrasekhar, who was placed under suspension, fought the case for years. In 2012, Kerala high court exonerated him, observing that there was "no oral or documentary, direct or circumstantial evidence to infer common intention" to commit any offence. The court noted that he took charge just two days prior to the incident, had no prior acquaintance with the agitators and acted under orders. It concluded that "no offence whatsoever is made out against the petitioner," and termed the prosecution "only a figment of imagination". Nearly 30 years later, Chandrasekhar's appointment as chief of the police force by another LDF govt comes as a moment of quiet vindication. Over the years, he served in various senior roles in both state and central govts, including a long stint in intelligence bureau, where he was considered for the post of director, before Centre decided to extend the incumbent's tenure. Earlier this month, Chandrasekhar met chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and formally expressed his readiness to return. His name was included in UPSC's three-member panel and subsequently cleared by the state. With a likely tenure of two years, Chandrasekhar now takes charge of Kerala Police at a time when the state is preparing for the 2026 assembly elections.
