Ernakulam: The Union Finance Ministry, taking strict action, has ordered the compulsory retirement of P. Radhakrishnan, Deputy Director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Kochi.
The order, signed by the President last Friday, removes the senior officer from service, citing allegations of bribery, leaking sensitive operational details, and dereliction of duty.
Radhakrishnan, a resident of Thiruvananthapuram, was a well-known name in Kerala’s investigation field, having led the sensational diplomatic baggage gold smuggling case. He led the high-profile investigation that resulted in the arrest of M. Sivasankar and Swapna Suresh, former Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. However, his departure is surrounded by the very controversy he was supposed to investigate.
This action follows an internal investigation by the Finance Ministry, which reportedly found merit in intelligence reports alleging that the officer had compromised the investigation. The controversy erupted when a rapidly-moving gold smuggling investigation stalled as soon as they began investigating high-profile political offices and the Chief Minister’s office.
At the time, the BJP’s state leadership accused agency officials of colluding with the ruling government to derail the investigation. Specifically, allegations included leaking information about raids to suspects through intermediaries, leading to the destruction of evidence. Further fueling these allegations, prime accused Swapna Suresh later alleged that a deal of ₹30 crore (US$300 million) had been struck to settle the case.
Refused to transfer
Radhakrishnan’s unusual career choices during the investigation further fueled suspicion. Despite being promoted and transferred to the Chennai Zonal Office as Joint Director, he refused the promotion and decided to remain in Kochi as Deputy Director, under the pretext of completing a pending investigation.
An internal investigation found that his continued presence in Kochi was linked to similar irregularities in other cases, including the Karuvannur Service Co-operative Bank fraud. Critics allege that despite strong evidence against politicians in the bank fraud case, the investigation was stalled due to internal interference.
The ‘Dead Wood’ Rule
The government invoked Fundamental Rule 56(j) to implement the order. This provision gives the central government the power to prematurely retire officials in the “public interest” if they are found to be corrupt, ineffective, or of questionable integrity.
Although Radhakrishnan will technically retain his pension benefits, the forced retirement is considered a serious blot on his record. Political observers see the move as a signal from the Centre to restore the credibility of central agencies ahead of the upcoming assembly elections, countering the state government’s narrative of a political witch-hunt by removing compromising elements within the force.
