RB Sreekumar is a former IPS officer of 1971 batch. He is known for his actions against the Gujarat government after the 2002 Gujarat riots, as well as the alleged role of Nambi Narayanan, an ISRO scientist.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
RB Sreekumar was born on Wednesday 12 February 1947 (age 75; as of 2022) in Ooruthambalam, Thiruvananthapuram District, Kerala. RB Sreekumar holds an MA in History, Gandhian Philosophy, Literature and Law (LLM) in Criminology from the University of Kerala.
Physical appearance
Height (approx): 5′7″
Hair color: salt and pepper
Eye color: dark brown
family
RB Sreekumar belongs to a Malayalam family.
parents and siblings
His grandfather, Balaramapuram G. Raman Pillai, was a freedom fighter, critic and journalist. Not much information is available about his parents or siblings.
wife and children
His wife’s name is Rajalakshmi. His daughter, Deepa, is an advocate practicing in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
Religion/Religious Beliefs
RB Sreekumar claims to be an Ambedkarite who studied Hindu scriptures as a Hindu scholar.
Address
He resides at Plot No-193, Sreelekshmideepam, Sector-8, Gandhinagar-382008, Gujarat.
Career
UPSC Clearing
After completing his formal education in 1971, RB Sreekumar started working as a lecturer at the University of Kerala. A few months later, in 1971, he cleared the UPSC exams and joined the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy in Telangana. He became an IPS officer from the Gujarat cadre.
Indian Police Service
After completing his training in 1972, RB Sreekumar was appointed as Superintendent of Police (SP) in Gujarat. Throughout his service he served as SP in seven districts of Gujarat. From 1979 to 1984, on deputation to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), RB Sreekumar served as Commandant. From 1986 to 1987, Sreekumar, as Deputy Inspector General (DIG), served as Director of Safety at the Gujarat Electricity Board. In 1987, he was instrumental in busting five Kutch espionage cases. The cases related to the infiltration of Pakistani spies into India as well as the smuggling of arms and ammunition to militants operating in India through the Kutch sector of Gujarat. This earned him the gratitude of the then Director of the Intelligence Bureau H.A. from Barar side. In 1987, RB Sreekumar was appointed Deputy Director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB). There, in 1994, his career collapsed after he was accused of falsely framing an espionage case against Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) scientist Nambi Narayanan. In 2000, he returned to Gujarat where he was promoted to the rank of Additional Director General of Police (ADGP). After his promotion, Sreekumar was posted as the head of the armed wing of the Gujarat Police. He remained the commander of the armed unit until the end of the 2002 Gujarat riots. RB Sreekumar, after the riots, was appointed as the head of the Intelligence Branch of the Gujarat Police.
RB Sreekumar in his IPS uniform
Testifying against CM Narendra Modi
RB Sreekumar became one of several senior officials to testify about the alleged role of the Gujarat government in the 2002 Gujarat riots. In 2002, Sreekumar appeared before the Nanavati-Mehta Commission and presented a total of nine pieces of evidence against the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi-led Gujarat government. In an interview, Sreekumar said,
Now I am telling you about the environment at that time. All Vakeels were on the VHP side; All the judges, many judges were also on the VHP side, no; Doctors also did not treat patients because they were Muslims. What can be done in such a situation? Tell me. Bail applications are being ignored, what can we (Department of Home Affairs) … stay … what can we say? The whole society is like that. Again, the PP (Public Prosecutor)… had a discussion with the Minister of Law.”
In 2002, in an attempt to hold snap elections in Gujarat, the Narendra Modi-led Gujarat government claimed that the state government had successfully controlled the riots in the state. Rejecting the Gujarat government’s claim, RB Sreekumar submitted a report on the 2002 Gujarat riots to the Election Commission of India, asking the then Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), JM Lyngdoh, to postpone the state elections in Gujarat due to the sensitive situation in the state. A report submitted by RB Sreekumar said that 154 out of 182 constituencies in Gujarat were badly affected by the large-scale riots. The Election Commission, while following the recommendations given by Sreekumar, said in its official statement,
In this environment, passionate election campaigns will only disrupt the fragile peace unless adequate confidence-building measures are taken seriously and urgently. Foremost among these will be the arrest and punishment of criminals, regardless of their status or rank for their crimes. The commission cited Additional Director General of Police RB Sreekumar as saying that 151 towns and 993 villages comprising 154 of the state’s 182 assembly constituencies and 284 police stations out of 464 were affected by the riots. This clearly belies the claims of other governments that the unrest is localized only in certain pockets of the state.”
Due to his whistleblowing actions, in 2005, R.B. Sreekumar was canceled and denied his promotion to the rank of Director General of Police (DGP) by the Gujarat government. In 2006, he appealed to the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT). In 2008, a year after his retirement, the CAT ruled in his favour. While giving an interview, the retired IPS said,
I filed the case in 2005 and now I got justice. This is a great victory against a dispensation that is vindictive and malafide. Compared to the victims of cases like Naroda Patiya who are still struggling, this delay is nothing. I request other officers to fight against this government.”
confrontations
Accused of violence in custody
In 1986, RB Sreekumar was accused of using violence on an accused in his custody. As a result of the violence, the accused sustained severe injuries following which an FIR was registered against RB Sreekumar. The case was later closed and he was acquitted of all charges.
Accused of framing ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan
In 1994, under the direction of the Intelligence Bureau (IB), the Kerala Police filed an FIR against Nambi Narayanan, a rocket scientist working with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), for leaking highly confidential images and reports of the underdeveloped Vika engines to two Malaysian spies named Hassan and Maryam. The FIR accused Nambi of exchanging confidential data from two Malaysian spies for sexual exploitation. In 1996, following national outrage over the issue, the Indian government handed over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The CBI observed that the allegations leveled against Nambi Narayanan were baseless. In the report filed by the Intelligence Bureau (IB), the location where the alleged conspiracy meeting took place did not match the actual location of the accused on the date when the alleged meeting took place. The case against Nambi Narayanan was dropped in 1998 after conclusive evidence of espionage was discovered. The case later reached the Supreme Court and the apex court further asked the Kerala government to pay Rs 50 lakh to Nambi as compensation and ordered action against the conspiracy. In 2014, while filing a defamation case against the Intelligence Bureau in the Supreme Court, Nambi named RB Sreekumar for a series of mental and physical abuses. He also accused Sreekumar of possessing him, ordering the Kerala police to lodge a false FIR against him to satisfy his vendetta against the scientist. In an official statement recorded by the CBI, Nambi said,
When Sreekumar was commandant in VSSC, he asked me to appoint his niece or nephew to Thumba, but as the process was fair, he could not be selected. Sreekumar then came to my office to express his anger to which I asked him to leave or I would call the police. Sreekumar said that I will regret it in future.’
Nambi also alleged in his FIR that he was forced by Sreekumari and his colleagues to give a false confession on video tape. RB Sreekumar, defending himself, told the CBI that he had no direct connection with the case and that he had interrogated the two Malaysian women only for two days. RB Sreekumar also accused former Kerala police chief Sibi Mathews of forcing him to file a false espionage case against Nambi Narayanan.
Making false claims against the Prime Minister
In June 2022, the Supreme Court dismissed a plea filed by RB Sreekumar, Sanjiv Bhatt, Teesta Setalvad (with her NGO) and Zakia Jafri. Soon after the court case was dismissed, Sreekumar was arrested by the Gujarat Police’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). Sreekumar was accused of obtaining and submitting false evidence against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Supreme Court. The court also accused Bhatt, Sreekumar and Teesta Setalvad of playing with the sentiments of Zakia Jafri, a victim of the 2002 Gujarat riots. An FIR has been registered against him under sections 468, 471 (forgery), 194 (giving false evidence or forgery for the purpose of capital punishment), 211 (initiating criminal proceedings with intent to cause injury), 218 (public servant making false record or writing with intent to commit crime2) piracy) of the Indian Penal Code. The court stated in its decision,
After all, it appears to us that it was a concerted effort by the disgruntled Gujarat State officials along with others to create a sensation by making statements which they knew were false. The falsity of their claims was fully exposed by the SIT after a thorough investigation… In fact, all those involved in such abuse of process should be brought to justice and brought to justice. The proceedings have been going on for the last 16 years to keep the pot boiling for the ultimate design.”
After Sreekumar’s arrest, former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan said that Sreekumar had used the same tactics in filing false evidence against him in court. In an interview, Nambi said:
I heard he was arrested today and charged with fabricating stories and trying to sensationalize them. This is exactly what it did in my case. Our system is such that anyone can make a rude statement and get away with it. I am happy to note that he was arrested, because everything has a limit and he crosses all limits in terms of decency.”
ᐯildo
- In 1990, RB Sreekumar was awarded a medal for meritorious service by the Government of India.
- In 1998, RB Sreekumar was awarded the Medal for Distinguished Service by the Government of India.
Pension as DGP
As DGP, RB Sreekumar’s pension is Rs 2,25,000 + other allowances (as on 2022).
Facts/Trivia
- RB Sreekumar knows how to play the sitar, an Indian classical musical instrument.
RB Sreekumar sits on Sitar
- In March 2014, RB Sreekumar joined the Aam Aadmi Party.
RB Sreekumar during a press conference
- On 12 September 2017, RB Sreekumar wrote a letter to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan requesting him to include Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar’s scientific work in Kerala’s education curriculum.
- In a 2017 letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, RB Sreekumar requested the Indian government to declare the Tamil classic Thirukural as India’s national book.
- RB Sreekumar is the author of books such as Diary of a Helpless Man (2013) and Gujarat: Behind the Curtain (2016), based on the 2002 Gujarat riots. He also published a book on the Malayalam riots. The book is titled Gujarat: Irakalkkuvendi Oru Porattam (2008).
RB Sreekumar at the launch of the Urdu edition of his book Gujarat: Behind the Curtain
Categories: Sports
Source: dienchau2.edu.vn
