Thiruvananthapuram, June 21 (BPNS)

Ousted vigilance director MR Ajithkumar got a new posting. To accommodate him, the state government created an ex-cadre post which is equivalent in status and responsibility to the cadre post of additional director general of police (headquarters). Ajithkumar has been appointed as additional director general of police (protection of civil rights).

The newly created post is for one year.

It was on June 10 that Ajith got removed as vigilance chief on charges of conspiring with Shaj Kiran, a former journalist, to pressure gold-smuggling accused Swapna Suresh to withdraw her statement against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his family.

Following his removal, Vigilance IG H Venkatesh was given the additional charge of the director.

Earlier, it was reported that Ajith held phone conversations with Shajkiran 19 times and all that for settling the complaints raised by Swapna. The incident in which a team from Vigilance detained Swapna’s friend Sarith immediately after her revelations had brought embarrassment to the police department. Swapna further divulged that Shaj promised to help her get the travel ban against her revoked with the help of some senior police officers, including Ajith Kumar. She also called the senior IPS officer as an agent of those in power.

With the intelligence wing finding merit in some allegations, the ADGP was shifted out from Vigilance.