Six Senior IPS officers have been shortlisted for consideration for the top post of the state police of Kerala.
The Kerala government has begun the process of selecting a new state police chief to succeed Shaik Darvesh Saheb, whose tenure concludes on June 30. As an initial step, six senior IPS officers with over 30 years of service have been invited to express their interest and submit their resumes for consideration.
These officers will be evaluated for inclusion in a list of potential candidates, which will later be forwarded to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for further shortlisting.
The Six Officers Under Consideration:
- Nitin Agrawal (DGP, 1990 batch) – The most senior candidate, previously served as BSF Director General before returning to Kerala as Road Safety Commissioner. Set to retire in June 2026.
- Ravada A. Chandrasekhar (DGP, 1991 batch) – Special Director at the Intelligence Bureau (IB), with retirement scheduled for June 2026.
- Yogesh Gupta (DGP, 1993 batch) – Currently the Director of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, his tenure extends until 2030.
- Manoj Abraham (ADGP, 1994 batch) – Serving as ADGP for Law and Order, with retirement in 2031.
- S. Suresh (ADGP, 1995 batch) – An Additional Director with the Special Protection Group (SPG), his tenure runs until 2031. He is also being considered for leadership roles in IB or SPG.
- M. R. Ajith Kumar (ADGP, 1995 batch) – Currently ADGP of the Armed Police Battalion, set to retire in December 2028.
Given their high-profile roles in organizations like IB and SPG, officers Ravada and Suresh may opt out of consideration for the state police chief position, as they have promising leadership prospects in their respective agencies.
By April, the Kerala government will submit the names of these officers to the UPSC, which will then shortlist three candidates. The final selection will be made by the state government from this list.
