Congress protests IPS officer’s transfer who searched CPI-M office

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 26 (IANS) The sudden transfer of a woman IPS officer after she searched the CPI-M district office here to investigate a case came under fire on Saturday from the Congress.

Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala, a former Home Minister himself, slammed the transfer of Chaitra Teresa John.

"Time and again, the government speaks of gender justice. But when a young police officer was doing her job, she was taken to task and shunted out from the post she was holding," he said.

"This government instead of protecting the officer is protecting the law breakers... This has to end," he said in a statement.

When the Sabarimala pilgrimage season was at its peak last month, John was given additional charge as Deputy Commissioner of Police in the state capital.

Reputed to be a fearless officer, John antagonized CPI-M leaders when she pursued a case where youth activists of the CPI-M were involved in an alleged case of stone throwing at a police station here.

After learning that those who threw stones could be in the CPI-M district office here, she went there but could not find anyone there.

Soon afterwards, she was called by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and stripped of her post.

Earlier, John took a strong stand against eight state government employees belonging to a Left union who are now in jail for vandalizing a State Bank of India branch here on January 9 as part of a nationwide strike.