Tamil Nadu IPS officer alleges murder attempt after exposing irregularities
What's the story
Kalpana Nayak, the Additional Director General of Police in Tamil Nadu, has alleged an attempt on her life after exposing irregularities in police recruitment. In a complaint to Director General of Police Shankar Jiwal, Nayak sought an "unbiased" probe into a fire incident at her Chennai office on July 29, 2024. The fire erupted soon after she flagged discrepancies by the Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Recruitment Board (TNUSRB) in recruiting Sub-Inspectors and other ranks with communal reservations.
Court intervention
Nayak's revelations avert adverse court order
Reportedly, Nayak's revelations saved the state government from an embarrassing Madras High Court order. She alleged that bringing these issues to light put her life at risk and caused damage to government property. A sub-committee was constituted by the then DGP of TNUSRB to look into these discrepancies and rectify the final candidate list. The court had earlier dismissed a writ petition over recruitment flaws, directing authorities to rectify the selection list.
Incident details
Fire incident and alleged sabotage
On the day of the fire, Nayak was advised against entering her office because of the blaze. When she arrived, she found her chair had been destroyed by the fire. She said, "It was apparent that if I had reached office a little earlier, I would have lost my life." Nayak was supposed to review and send a revised candidate list on the day of the fire, which was caused by an air-conditioning system short circuit.
Investigation plea
Nayak's complaint and call for investigation
Despite no action against staff members 15 days after the incident, Nayak filed a complaint with Jiwal on August 15, 2024, accusing foul play and sabotage. The revised candidate list was published on the TNUSRB website without Nayak's approval a day after the fire. She expressed concern over her safety in her own office, saying it "casts a dark shadow on the state of policing itself."