Vigilance books Jail DIG for accepting ₹1.8 lakh from TP murder case convict Kodi Suni, 7 others

Thiruvananthapuram: The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) has booked a senior prison official for allegedly accepting bribes from Kodi Suni and seven other convicts serving time for the assassination of T P Chandrasekharan, a CPM rebel and founder of Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP).

The Vigilance Special Investigation Unit–I (SIU-I) identified the official as Deputy Inspector General of Prisons M K Vinod Kumar. He is posted at the Prisons Headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram. “Our case is that he received a total of ₹1.80 lakh from the prison inmates or their relatives,” said Amminikuttan S, Superintendent of Police, SIU-I. The alleged bribes were received in his bank account through UPI-based transactions during 2024 and 2025, he said.

The case has been entrusted to the Vigilance Special Investigation Unit–I, following intelligence inputs and a preliminary inquiry. According to vigilance officials, the investigation established that Vinod Kumar allegedly received money from relatives of at least eight accused in serious criminal cases, including those convicted in the Chandrasekharan murder.

Allegations of favours inside jail
Vigilance officials suspect the bribes were paid in return for special facilities inside prisons and for the preparation of favourable reports that enabled inmates to secure parole, even in cases where courts had taken a strict view against granting such relief.

Kodi Suni has repeatedly figured in controversies related to prison administration over the years. In September 2021, then Director General of Police (Prisons) Sheikh Darvesh Saheb issued a show-cause notice to the Superintendent of Viyyur Central Jail after it emerged that inmates, including Kodi Suni, had accessed mobile phones inside the prison. An internal report submitted by the DIG (North) stated that prisoners used phones with the knowledge and assistance of jail officials. Kodi Suni alone reportedly made more than 1,000 calls from prison.

In November 2023, Kodi Suni was shifted from the high-security Viyyur Central Jail to Thavanur jail following a clash inside Viyyur. Jail sources said the clash was allegedly orchestrated to facilitate a transfer, amid reports that Kodi Suni had earlier sought to be moved to Kannur Central Jail.

More recently, in August 2025, CCTV footage surfaced showing Kodi Suni consuming liquor in a public place while police personnel stood guard. It later emerged that the incident occurred on July 17, when he and two co-accused were taken to the Thalassery Additional District Court in connection with the murder of two RSS workers. The accused allegedly consumed alcohol at a hotel parking area during dinner. Police initially declined to register a case, citing the absence of a complaint, but later booked him after State Police Chief Ravada A Chandrasekhar, during a visit to Kannur, described the episode as an embarrassment to the department.

Investigators are also examining instances in which Kodi Suni obtained parole despite judicial observations opposing such relief. Vigilance officials suspect that favourable reports were prepared after money was transferred to senior officials.

According to the Vigilance SP, Vinod Kumar received the money while he was posted as DIG at the Prisons Headquarters. He has been booked under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, the officer said.