Salute row: notice to Kerala top cop

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala gover nment on Wednesday decided to serve a show-cause notice to additional DGP Rishiraj Singh for refusing to salute state home minister Ramesh Chennithala at a function in Thrissur ten days ago.

The decision came after state home secretary Nalini Netto submitted a report saying there were serious lapses on the part of the police officer. Subsequently, chief minister Oommen Chandy directed the home department to serve the show-cause notice to him explaining why action should not be taken against him.

A 1985 batch IPS officer, Singh, who always carried a larger-than-life image, refused to salute the home minister at a function in state police academy and went a step further saying there was no protocol to salute the minister at such a function.

When ruling MLAs and Congress leaders bayed for his blood, he said he was not aware of the minister’s arrival as he entered from behind and was keenly watching the preparations for the passing out parade of women constables. But more than the salute what infuriated the government was the officer’s public explanation.

An upright officer, he was the darling of netizens and others who always backed his nonsensical approach. He was one of the three officers handpicked by former chief minister VS Achuthanandan to remove illegal encroachments in Munnar seven years ago.