The state government has suspended Deputy Inspector General of Police (Headquarters), Prisons and Correctional Services MP Vinod Kumar over alleged corruption charges.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s office said the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) had last week charged Mr Kumar with abusing his official position to amass illicit wealth.
The VACB FIR accuses Mr. Kumar of seeking large backhanders from relatives of convicts to facilitate their parole. The agency alleged that Mr. Kumar also sought money to grant “criminals” special privileges in prison, including the ability to network with their associates outside.
The VACB said Mr. Kumar’s patronage network covered Thiruvananthapuram, Kannur and Viyyur Central jails. Investigators said the agency would look into whether other prison department officials benefited from the racket.
They said Mr. Kumar also threatened to impose harsh conditions on convicts, including denial of parole, if their relatives did not meet the network’s demand for cash.
The VACB has registered an FIR and conducted a preliminary investigation based on several complaints received by relatives of the convicts and several lawyers at the agency’s headquarters here.
The VACB told the court that Mr Kumar also moved some of the illicit proceeds of the corruption extortion to his wife’s bank accounts through Google Pay. It also examined Mr Kumar’s financial transactions with other persons, including those in his department.
The government said Mr Kumar will remain off duty until the VACB completes its investigation.
Published – 23 Dec 2025 20:23 IST
