Thiruvananthapuram: State govt appointed senior IPS officer Ravada A Chandrasekhar as the new state police chief. This marks a full-circle journey for the officer who, nearly three decades ago, stood at the centre of one of Kerala’s most controversial police actions — the Koothuparamba firing.A 1991-batch IPS officer, Chandrasekhar began his career in Kerala as assistant superintendent of police (ASP), Thalassery. Just days into his first assignment, on Nov 25, 1994, five DYFI activists were killed when police opened fire on protesters attempting to block the then cooperation minister M V Raghavan at Koothuparamba. The incident became a political flashpoint and triggered a judicial inquiry by the Padmanabhan Nair commission.When LDF govt came to power in 1996, the commission’s recommendations led to criminal cases being registered against several persons, including Raghavan, DSP Hakim Bathery, deputy collector T T Antony and Chandrasekhar. Amid the institutional fallout, Chandrasekhar became one of the more isolated figures in the force. Speaking to TOI, former DGP Vinson M Paul, who was appointed SP (Kannur) after Koothuparamba firing and under whom Chandrasekhar continued as ASP, recalled the isolation the young officer faced. “After the incident, there was a time when many tried to distance themselves from him, especially as govt moved to prosecute him. He was not even welcomed in the rooms of many officials. He underwent a lot of physical and financial stress till he finally won the case in the high court,” said Paul.Another senior officer familiar with the events recalled how Chandrasekhar — newly posted and unfamiliar with the ground realities — was named in connection with the police action. “The newly appointed ASP had no role or clue about what was unfolding. The stone pelting was intense. When the firing had to be put on record, it was shown that the ASP had a role in the firing even though it was the executive magistrate who ordered the police to open fire at the violent crowd,” said the officer on condition of anonymity.Chandrasekhar, who was placed under suspension, fought the case for years. In 2012, Kerala high court exonerated him, observing that there was “no oral or documentary, direct or circumstantial evidence to infer common intention” to commit any offence. The court noted that he took charge just two days prior to the incident, had no prior acquaintance with the agitators and acted under orders. It concluded that “no offence whatsoever is made out against the petitioner,” and termed the prosecution “only a figment of imagination”.Nearly 30 years later, Chandrasekhar’s appointment as chief of the police force by another LDF govt comes as a moment of quiet vindication. Over the years, he served in various senior roles in both state and central govts, including a long stint in intelligence bureau, where he was considered for the post of director, before Centre decided to extend the incumbent’s tenure.Earlier this month, Chandrasekhar met chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and formally expressed his readiness to return. His name was included in UPSC’s three-member panel and subsequently cleared by the state. With a likely tenure of two years, Chandrasekhar now takes charge of Kerala Police at a time when the state is preparing for the 2026 assembly elections.
