Thiruvananthapuram: The state government has finally sent a 2016 file to fill up 13 vacancies in the Indian Police Service (IPS). The list contains names of 32 superintendents of police (SP) chosen on the basis of seniority for 13 posts that fell vacant in 2016.

The file, prepared at the police headquarters in March last year, was gathering dust at the offices of the home secretary and the police chief. The delay was due to efforts to free some of those in the lists from various troubles. Some were facing court cases, while others faced departmental inquiry.

Three SPs faced hurdles to obtain integrity certificates. The chief minister's office intervened to fix it.

R. Sukesan, a Vigilance SP who investigated the bar bribery case, had to be squeezed out of a Crime Branch case. The file was on regular trips from the police headquarters to the Secretariat and back.

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