The curious case of Yogesh Gupta: From key Kerala bureaucrat to persona non grata

Thiruvananthapuram, June 21 (IANS) Yogesh Gupta, a senior IPS officer holding the rank of Kerala Director General of Police, is facing an uncertain future after falling out of favour with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Gupta, long considered a clean and competent officer, has served multiple stints as the Managing Director of the Kerala State Beverages Corporation -- a post traditionally considered sensitive and politically significant due to the Corporation's status as the state's largest revenue earner through liquor sales.

A rare combination of bureaucratic and financial acumen, Gupta is not just an IPS officer but also a qualified cost and chartered accountant. His expertise made him a preferred choice across successive governments.

Until recently, he enjoyed the confidence of Vijayan, who also holds the Home portfolio. But that changed when Gupta, then heading the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB), submitted case files related to K.M. Abraham -- Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister and a former Chief Secretary -- directly to the Kerala High Court without seeking clearance from higher-ups.

Abraham, seen as one of Vijayan’s most trusted aides, was under the scanner in a disproportionate assets case.

Gupta’s decision triggered the High Court to order a CBI probe against Abraham. Though Abraham later obtained a stay on the investigation from the Supreme Court, the damage to Gupta’s standing had already been done.

Soon after, Gupta was removed from the VACB and posted as Director of the Kerala Fire and Rescue Services -- a clear demotion in bureaucratic influence.

What followed has been a bureaucratic limbo. Gupta is now struggling to obtain a mandatory Vigilance clearance certificate from the state government -- a document required by the Centre for considering officers for top-level postings in national agencies like the CBI and Enforcement Directorate.

Ironically, Gupta has previously served five-year tenures with both the CBI and ED.

Despite half a dozen reminders from the Centre to Chief Secretary A. Jayathilak, the file remains stuck -- reportedly on the desk of the Chief Minister.

On June 2, a frustrated Gupta submitted a formal complaint to the Chief Minister’s Grievance Cell, detailing his predicament and seeking intervention. His plea has not yet been acted upon, nor has his request for an appointment with the Chief Minister been granted.

Gupta’s name is among six IPS officers shortlisted by the state government and sent to the UPSC for consideration for the post of State Police Chief. However, even if he makes it to the final list of three, sources indicate he is unlikely to be chosen due to his current status as persona non grata in the CM’s office.

Observers now wonder whether Gupta will meet a fate similar to that of Jacob Thomas -- another high-profile officer who was appointed VACB chief by Vijayan in 2016 but was later sidelined and retired while heading a little-known PSU manufacturing farm tools.

Unless Gupta manages to secure a central posting, his case could become yet another example of how bureaucratic careers in Kerala are increasingly shaped by political equations.

--IANS

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