Kochi, August 20, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Kerala government on Thursday informed the High Court that no Vigilance investigation was warranted at present against DGP S. Sreejith, IPS, over allegations that he travelled to Dubai without obtaining the required permission and attended the inauguration of a private enterprise allegedly linked to him.
Additional Chief Secretary, Home and Vigilance Department, Minhaj Alam, made the submission before Justice A. Badharudeen after being directed to appear personally over alleged non-compliance with an earlier court order in the matter.
The court was hearing a petition challenging a Vigilance Department compliance report that had described the allegations against Sreejith as false and vexatious.
The petitioner had alleged that Sreejith took casual leave and travelled to Dubai without securing permission to go abroad. He was also accused of attending the inauguration of a private enterprise allegedly connected to him. The High Court had earlier directed an inquiry into the complaint.
Following that direction, the Additional Chief Secretary issued a notice asking the petitioner to appear for a hearing. The petitioner declined to participate, objecting to being required to attend a joint hearing in the presence of Sreejith, against whom the allegations had been made. He said he was willing to appear independently before the authorities.
The High Court subsequently directed the Additional Chief Secretary to provide the petitioner an independent personal hearing in Sreejith’s absence before taking further action. The court had observed that requiring a complainant to participate in a hearing alongside the person against whom allegations were made could not be considered a fair procedure.
After the alleged non-compliance was brought to the court’s attention, Alam was directed to appear personally. On Thursday, he submitted that the court’s direction had been complied with and that he had concluded that a Vigilance investigation was not warranted at present.
The court thereafter closed the proceedings while allowing the petitioner to pursue appropriate remedies in accordance with law.
Justice Badharudeen, however, issued a strong caution to government officials on compliance with judicial orders. The court said officials must act responsibly and warned that repeated lapses could lead to personal appearances and even contempt proceedings.
The court also orally directed officials to file appropriate petitions when seeking further orders instead of sending clerks or peons to approach the High Court. It warned that costs could be imposed if such lapses were repeated.
The proceedings have thus been closed for now, although the petitioner remains free to pursue further legal remedies. Sreejith was recently promoted to the rank of DGP.
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