Two Kerala-cadre IPS officers, S Sreejith and S Suresh Raj Purohit, were promoted to the rank of Director General of Police on Friday. They have been promoted in the vacancy arisen due to the retirement of Nitin Agarwal, Director General, Fire & Rescue Services.

Sreejith belongs to the 1996-cadre, and Suresh is a 1995 - cadre IPS officer. Sreejith became the frontrunner to the post of the DGP following the suspension of ADGP Ajith Kumar. He was placed under suspension following the Special Investigation Team’s report on the Nava Kerala assault. 

According to the suspension order, Ajith Kumar pressurised the subordinate police officers to cite insufficient evidence so as to weaken their investigation into the assault on KSU and Youth Congress leaders during the Nava Kerala Yatra on December 15, 2023.

The suspension order came as a major setback for Ajith Kumar ahead of the department-level screening committee for promotion. His plea for an interim stay on the suspension was also turned down by the Central Administrative Tribunal. 

This paved the way for Sreejith, who has been posted as Director General of Prisons & Correctional Services. Sreejith is set to retire in May 2027. Suresh Raj Purohit is currently on central deputation, which is set to end in January 2027.