Kerala: A.P. Shoukath Ali appointed Kozhikode City Police commissioner
Kozhikode, June 12
Senior IPS officer A.P. Shoukath Ali has been appointed as the new Commissioner of Police, Kozhikode City, following a transfer and posting order issued by the Kerala government's General Administration Department.
According to the government order dated June 11, A.P. Shoukath Ali (IPS: Kerala Cadre 2015), who was serving as Superintendent of Police, Crime Branch, Alappuzha, has been transferred and posted as Commissioner of Police, Kozhikode City.
The appointment was made as part of a broader transfer and posting exercise involving IPS officers in the state. The order also created an ex-cadre post of Commissioner of Police, Kozhikode City, for a period of one year with effect from June 11, 2026.
As per the order, Merin Joseph (IPS: Kerala Cadre 2013), who was serving as Commissioner of Police, Kozhikode City, has been transferred and posted as District Police Chief, Kozhikode Rural.
Shoukath Ali is a senior police officer who has handled several high-profile investigations during his career in the Kerala Police. Most recently, he headed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted to probe the alleged assault on Congress workers by members of the Chief Minister's security team during the Nava Kerala Yatra in 2023.
An officer with more than three decades of policing experience, Shoukath Ali joined the Kerala Police as a Sub-Inspector in 1995 after securing first rank and subsequently rose through the ranks. He has also received the Union Home Ministry's Award for Excellence in Investigation.
He served with the National Investigation Agency (NIA) from 2014 and was associated with several major investigations, including the T.P. Chandrasekharan murder case, the Kanakamala terror case, terrorism-related investigations in Tamil Nadu and international cooperation efforts linked to the Paris terror attacks.
Shoukath Ali also played a role in the investigation of the 2020 gold smuggling case, in which the main accused were arrested shortly after he assumed charge of the probe. During his tenure as Thalassery Deputy Superintendent of Police, he was part of the team that investigated the T.P. Chandrasekharan murder case and arrested several key accused.
The transfer order was issued by the General Administration (AIS-C) Department of the Government of Kerala and came into effect on June 11.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Disappointing to see Merin Joseph moved out so soon. She was doing a decent job handling law and order in the city. These frequent transfers don't give officers time to implement long-term solutions. Hope Shoukath Ali brings the same energy he showed in the gold smuggling case.
Interesting choice. He has 30 years of grassroots experience as SI and DSP - not just an IAS-background officer. Kerala needs more such officers who understand the ground realities. Let's see how he handles the upcoming festival season in Kozhikode.
Interesting to see such detailed reporting about police transfers in India. In the UK, these appointments rarely make news unless there's a scandal. Shoukath Ali's experience with the NIA and international terrorism cases seems impressive.
I hope this appointment brings some transparency to the police force in Kozhikode. The way the SIT investigation into the Nava Kerala Yatra incident was handled raised questions about political interference. Let's see if he can maintain impartiality as commissioner.
30 years in Kerala Police and he's still only 2015 batch IPS? That's because he joined as SI and rose through merit alone, not through political connections. Much respect for that journey. 🙏
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