Removed from post of Vigilance Chief while hunting down corrupt individuals; Yogesh Gupta set to leave Kerala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: DGP Yogesh Gupta, recently ousted from his role as Vigilance Chief after uncovering large-scale corruption involving political figures and public sector bodies, is preparing to exit Kerala. He is likely to be deputed to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) or the anti-corruption wing of the CBI. Although he was third on the list of potential candidates to become the next state Police Chief, his chances diminished after he became a thorn in the side of powerful political figures. Once the decision on the next police chief is finalised next month, he is expected to move to central services.

A chartered accountant by profession, Yogesh has previously served five years in the CBI and seven years in the ED, investigating numerous high-profile cases. He became a nightmare for money launderers, bank fraudsters, and tax evaders. As a Special Director in the ED, he led investigations into major scams such as the Saradha, Rose Valley, and Seashore chit fund scams in Bengal, as well as the Narada bribery case and the Basil investment fraud. These cases led to the arrests of top political leaders and the seizure of assets worth thousands of crores. His outstanding service earned him the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service. Since returning to Kerala in December 2020, there has been no legal hurdle to his central deputation.

The immediate trigger for his removal was his directive to register a case regarding a Rs 12 crore contract awarded to a benami company allegedly linked to former Kannur District Panchayat President P.P. Divya. The order was issued hastily while the Chief Minister was out of the capital, and Yogesh was not even consulted before his transfer. He is currently the second most senior DGP in the state.

His crackdown on several public sector scams made him unpopular in political circles. These include:

A Rs 100 crore subsidy scam in a public sector unit dealing with coconut and copra storage.

A multi-crore fraud in another corporation involving contractors.

A Rs 15 crore embezzlement in a government institution for backwards communities.

Agricultural subsidy fraud by a corporation using central funds.

A track record of uncompromising anti-corruption work:

• Yogesh investigated the first two ED money laundering cases that led to convictions, including that of a Jharkhand minister.
• He was also the first in the country to freeze assets in a drug-related money laundering case.
• At the CBI, he uncovered 50 bank frauds worth ₹20,000 crore, the SBI gold loan scam, and Airport Authority recruitment scam.

Steered Supplyco and KFC into profit

• As Chairman of Supplyco, he recovered a Rs 600 crore loss. At the Kerala Financial Corporation (KFC), he steered the institution back into profit.
• As MD of the Beverages Corporation, he recovered Rs 1,150 crore owed by the Income Tax Department.
• 40 bribe-takers were caught red-handed while he served as Vigilance Chief. Conducted 212 surprise raids, launching a major offensive against corruption.