Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan has said there was no delay on the part of the government in taking action against Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) M.R. Ajith Kumar over alleged interference in the probe into the assault of Youth Congress workers in Alappuzha.

Addressing a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday (July 29, 2026), Mr. Satheesan said the government had to follow certain procedural formalities and that it “could be expected to act when the media wants it to.”

“A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed in the first Cabinet meeting itself. Based on the findings in the first report of the SIT, action was taken against a few officers. It was in the second report that the ADGP’s involvement became clear. The DGP examined the second report and gave time to the ADGP to respond. Action was taken after completing all the procedures. Can we suspend someone based on news reports? It is because we followed the procedures properly that the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) refused to grant a stay on the suspension order,” said Mr. Satheesan.

He said the media, “which accused him and the Home Minister of attempting to protect the officer, should do self-introspection.”