Nabbed ruling party leader from lodge, controversies and more; IPS Vijay Sakhare's Kerala days

Would any police officer in Kerala today dare to arrest a leader of the ruling party, and that too a district president? But in 2001, during the A.K. Antony government, a tough cop from Maharashtra created a controversy by arresting Kozhikode DCC President Advocate M. Veerankutty from a lodge early dawn, only for his involvement in the commissioner's office march that turned violent the previous day.

There is more than one lore associated with Maharashtra native Vijay Sakhare, the former Kozhikode City Police Commissioner. Today, Sakhare is the Additional Director General of the NIA. Sakhare will lead the ten-member NIA team investigating the Delhi blasts.

A product of Harvard University, US Sakhare is a 1996 Kerala cadre IPS officer. Sakhare became a controversial figure in Kerala due to his uncompromising stance. When COVID-19 spread in Kasaragod in 2020, he made headlines for his preventive measures. Later, he led the COVID-19 preventive measures across Kerala. He also served as the Thiruvananthapuram City Commissioner.

While serving as the Kochi City Police Commissioner, he became the ADGP in charge of law and order in the state. He was known as a confidante of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Swapna Suresh, who was arrested in connection with gold smuggling, had levelled allegations against him. Known for his knack for solving serious cases, Sakhare also had wide experience in investigating cases associated with the Popular Front in Kerala. This proved handy for him as the central government appointed Sakhare to the NIA when he received a central deputation for five years in 2022. Sakhare had wanted the Narcotics Bureau, but the central government didn’t relent.

The NIA has utilised his investigative skills in many cases. Sakhare has now been given the responsibility of investigating the Delhi blasts. He became the Additional Director General of the NIA last September.