ADGP suspects foul play in fire inside her chamber; sparks political row in Tamil Nadu

Chennai: An explosive letter by a woman ADGP officer in Tamil Nadu to the DGP suspecting “foul play” and “sabotage” in a fire that gutted her chamber after she “exposed” irregularities in sub-inspector recruitment has given enough fodder for the opposition parties like the AIADMK and BJP to take a dig at the ruling DMK dispensation on the issue of law and order.

Kalpana Nayak, Additional Director General of Police & Member, Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Recruitment Board (TNUSRB) in a letter to DGP Shankar Jiwal on August 14, 2024 alleged that the fire at her chamber in Egmore in Chennai was a “threat to her life.”

However, the DGP clarified on Monday that a detailed probe by the Central Crime Branch and a forensic analysis have concluded that short circuit was the reason for the fire and that there was “no wilful act of arson.”

Nayak had alleged in the letter that the fire in her chamber followed after she came out in public against the irregularities in recruitment for the post of sub-inspectors in the present and in the past. In response to the charges by Nayak, the DGP said the investigation was taken up by the Egmore Police which was later transferred to the CCB, which recorded statements from 31 witnesses and consulted experts from forensic science, and fire services.

“The report of the forensic experts has opined that evidence of short circuit was noticed in copper wires. In addition, the forensic report states that, based on thin layer chromatography and gas chromatography, the presence of any arson material like petrol, diesel or any other inflammable substances is ruled out,” the DGP said in a statement.

The letter by the ADGP and the DGP’s clarification turned into a political slugfest with Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami seeking to know whether “murder” was the only solution to silence anyone who questions the DMK regime led by Chief Minister Stalin. TN BJP chief K Annamalai said flouting rules and laws have become customary in Tamil Nadu under the DMK government with even top police officers not being spared for speaking “uncomfortable truth.”

Pointing to Nayak’s allegation that she would have lost her life if she had gone to her chamber a little earlier, Palaniswami sought to know what was Stalin’s response to the charge and complained that the “iron fist” rule that the Chief Minister talks about seems to be to “silence truth” rather than “upholding justice.”

“The allegations by an ADGP-rank officer is in fact a huge black mark on the police under Stalin’s regime. The DMK government must take full responsibility for this condemnable and shameful situation and provide necessary security for the officer,” he added.

Annamalai alleged that the TN police wants to brush away the incident by calling it a fire, the sequence of events leading to the fire make this theory unbelievable as Nayak was kept out of the decision-making process, and “her approval was not sought before publishing the revised list of sub-inspectors.”

Both Palaniswami and Annamalai demanded that the government conduct a proper and transparent probe into the allegations levelled by Nayak and ensure justice for her.