Setback for Kerala, SC fines it Rs 25,000 in Senkumar case

In a fresh setback for the Kerala government, the Supreme Court came down on it heavily on Friday and it Rs 25,000 for wasting the court's time by disregarding its order to reinstate T.P. Senkumar as the state police chief.

The apex court had in April directed the Pinarayi Vijayan government to reinstate Senkumar as the Director General of Police.

Even as the Chief Minister informed the Kerala Assembly that Senkumar would be reinstated, as part of a delaying tactic, the state filed a clarification petition.

It was on this that the apex court came down heavily and fined the government.

The court said they know what to do if their orders are not implemented and there was no issue of clarity in their judgement.

In a contempt petition filed by Senkumar that the Chief Secretary Nalini Netto was delaying his posting, the division bench on Friday asked for notice to be served on the state government.

The next hearing in the case is on May 9.

Now with all doors closed for Vijayan and the contempt petition now posted for next Tuesday, according to legal experts, the only way to escape further setbacks for the state government is to post Senkumar at the earliest.

As soon as the news broke, the Congress-led-UDF raised the issue on the floor of the assembly and demanded that Senkumar be posted without any delay.

Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala later told reporters in the assembly complex that all this happened because of the "false ego of Vijayan".

"If he has any self-respect left, he should resign and apologise to the people. It's only the state government which has not understood the apex court's orders asking for the reinstatment," Chennithala said.

"The state government is wasting time and above all the resources of the people, just because of Vijayan's ego," said Chennithala and added that if Vijayan did not comply to this at the earliest, then on May 9, "don't be surprised, if the chief secretary is taken to task".

Trying to put up a brave face senior CPI-M legislator Raju Abraham said the state government has already made it amply clear that Senkumar will be posted and it filed a clarification petition just to get clarity .

It was on April 24, that the Supreme Court had directed Kerala to reinstate the senior Indian Police Service officer as the Director General of Police.

Senkumar was removed from the post when Pinarayi Vijayan took over as Chief Minister on May 25, 2016.

Reinstating Senkumar, a bench of Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta, had then said that the officer was dealt with "unfairly and arbitrarily".

Senkumar is set to retire on June 30.

--IANS

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