Thiruvananthapuram: Despite being under a vigilance inquiry for alleged amassment of wealth, ADGP M R Ajith Kumar is now all set to be promoted as the Director General of Police (DGP).

A meeting of the IPS Screening Committee on Monday, comprising the chief secretary, the DGP, the home secretary, and the vigilance director, approved Ajith Kumar's service promotion. As per the committee's decision, he is slated to be promoted to DGP in July when a vacancy arises.

In the meeting, Chief Secretary Sarada Muraleedharan clarified that an official's promotion cannot be withheld solely due to a vigilance inquiry. According to the rules, promotions can only be denied if the official is awaiting trial after a chargesheet has been filed, is under suspension, or has been served with a memo for disciplinary action.

The vigilance director, on his part, also confirmed that an official could only be barred from promotion if a primary inquiry led to the registration of a case and submission of a report in court.

Ajith Kumar is currently facing investigation for multiple allegations, including the disruption of Thrissur Pooram, holding secret meetings with top RSS leaders, and amassing wealth beyond his known sources of income. Last week, the vigilance also collected a detailed statement from him as part of the inquiry.

Meanwhile, the vigilance department is expected to submit its report on the wealth allegations within the next couple of weeks. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan recently presented a report in the assembly submitted by DGP S Darvesh Saheb. The report sought to dismiss Ajith Kumar's claim that his meeting with RSS leaders was a private affair, instead identifying it as a violation of service protocol.

Government stands by Ajith Kumar
The vigilance department typically conducts four types of inquiries: confidential verification (15 days), quick verification (one month), preliminary inquiry (two months), and a full vigilance inquiry (six months). In Ajith Kumar's case, the government ordered a six-month-long investigation.

While there was speculation that the screening committee might delay his promotion on technical grounds in case of a prolonged investigation conducted under special criteria, the government has chosen not to sideline Ajith Kumar.