Reshuffle in Kerala Police: Fate of actor-assault case poise

Thiruvananthapuram: While the investigation into the actor-assault case in Kerala stays at a crucial juncture, the state government has issued a reshuffle on the state Police Department's top rungs.

Late on Friday, replacements were issued on various branches, including Crime Branch head ADGP Sreejith IPS, who leads the probe into the actor-assault case in which Malayalam actor Dileep is accused. ADGP Sreejith IPS, who got transferred as Transport Commissioner, has been replaced by ADGP Shaik Darvesh Saheb, who was head of prisons.

However, CPI leader Annie Raja (of LDF) came to the fore, saying that replacing the Crime Branch chief at the moment would undermine the actor assault case's progress. She claimed that replacing ADGP Sreejith IPS would negatively impact the case when even the courts are not taking the matter seriously.

On Sunday, the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) also expressed their concern about the development. It wrote on Facebook that changing the investigation officer when the court extended the probe for another month is disappointing, adding that the development is similar to "anti-climax scenes" in movies.

Kerala Leader of Opposition, VD Satheeshan, also criticized the development on Saturday.