The Kerala government has reportedly reinstated senior IPS officer TP Senkumar as the state Director General of Police (Law and Order), sources from the Chief Minister's Office were quoted as saying by a news agency.
The Supreme Court had on Friday sought a response from Kerala Chief Secretary Nalini Netto on a contempt plea filed by senior IPS officer TP Senkumar. Senkumar had alleged that his reinstatement as the state police chief was delayed despite the Supreme Court's order.
The apex court also slapped a fine of Rs 25,000 on the Kerala government, which had filed a separate application that sought a few clarifications on the judgement delivered by the court on April 24 in connection with Senkumar's reinstatement, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported.
Senior advocate Dushyant Dave, who represented Senkumar, had told the bench of Justices MB Lokur and Deepak Gupta that the Kerala government has "mocked" at the judgement passed by the SC, which had directed that the senior IPS officer be reinstated as the state DGP. The SC had said that Senkumar was transferred by the ruling government "unfairly" and "arbitrarily".
The counsel representing the Kerala government had told the bench on Friday that the reinstatement process was underway and that the state government also filed a review petition in the apex court. "That is not an argument. We will see the review petition when it will come up for hearing before us," the bench told Kerala's counsel.
The bench added that the state government was "somehow confirming" the allegations by Senkumar by filing such an application. The counsel had requested the bench to not impose the fine and had also said that it would withdraw the application.
"Today's contempt notice by the SC on TP Senkumar case is yet another stinging slap on the Kerala Government that has already received one earlier when the SC set aside the removal of DGP Senkumar," Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar said.
"Perhaps this will educate the CM about how the law works in the country. Perhaps this will also educate the CM, against misusing his powers against officials like Senkumar. This episode is certainly a symbol of pathetic performance of the government, dominated by surge in political violence, violence against women and children and a sliding economy," the MP added.
Senkumar had moved SC on April 29 seeking contempt action against the Kerala government and its chief secretary alleging "wilful, deliberate disobedience" of its order to reinstate him as the state DGP.
