RETURN JOURNEY
When in trouble, reshuffle. That’s what Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan seems to be doing as he changes the top order in the state police. K. Padmakumar, additional DGP of the armed police battalion, will return to the ADGP headquarters. He replaces Manoj Abraham, who has been transferred as director, vigilance and anti-corruption bureau. Padmakumar, a 1989-batch IPS officer faced charges of sexual harassment by solar scam accused Saritha Nair. Many suspect Pinarayi’s political secretary P. Sasi’s role in his elevation. The CM is also looking out for a DGP as state police chief Anil Kant, whose tenure is till June 2023, is said to be seeking early retirement.