IPS Officer's Sudden Decision Spurs Speculation

Will the Mumbai Additional DGP V V Lakshminarayana, who applied for voluntary retirement from his post today, join politics? There is much speculation on the issue. Political analysts are predicting that he will be joining politics within days - most probably joining matinee hero turned politician Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena party.

Lakshminarayana addressed a letter to the Maharashtra DGP seeking acceptance of his letter seeking VRS. While many are shocked at Lakshminarayana's sudden decision, analysts opine that he made the right move as the Enforcement Directorate had withdrawn the illegal assets cases against YSR Congress Party chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, which were dealt with by Lakshminarayana as a CBI Joint Director in the past.

Lakshminarayana had been facing severe criticism of late in the social media by YSRCP activists and Jagan fans who were hounding him using abusive language. According to sources, the officer felt quite hurt with the language used against him. His own fans were countering the YSRCP activists' volleyof abuse, but not effectively enough. The whole thing might have forced him to take the serious decision of quitting from service. After all he was an IPS officer and could not counter the YSR Congress by issuing statements like a politician freely, and hence might have tendered his resignation to face these allegations politically.

Pawan Kalyan has been speaking openly against corruption and scams, and this might attract Laxminaryana, who had stated several times that corruption was more dangerous than cancer and that the nation would develop only when corruption was eradicated.

Lakshminarayana belongs to the Maharashtra IPS cadre and worked in Andhra Pradesh as a CBI joint director. While the IPS officer, who hails from Andhra Pradesh, served in several positions, people remember Jagan's illegal assets case the moment they hear Lakshminarayana's name. The officer dealt with not only the Jagan illegal assets case, but also the Emmar Properties, Satyam and other cases successfully.