In a top-level reshuffle in the Kerala Police, senior Indian Police Service officer H Venkatesh (IPS, 1998 batch) has been appointed as the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Law & Order. Venkatesh, who previously served as ADGP (Crimes), assumed charge of his new role with immediate effect.
The appointment follows the elevation of IPS officer Manoj Abraham (1994 batch) to the rank of Director General of Police (DGP). Abraham, who had been serving as the ADGP (Law & Order), has been appointed as the Director General of Fire and Rescue Services. This newly created ex-cadre post marks a strategic expansion in the state’s senior police leadership structure.
The reshuffle comes in the wake of the retirement of DGP K. Padmakumar (1989 batch) on April 30, 2025. To accommodate Abraham’s promotion and to ensure continuity in leadership, the Kerala government instituted the new DGP-level post, reflecting a forward-looking approach to strengthening law enforcement and emergency services in the state.
