Karnataka IPS officer seeks correction of Supreme Court submissions by Kapil Sibal

Senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Alok Kumar has asked the Karnataka government to correct what he calls "factually incorrect statements" by Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal in the Supreme Court about his appointment as Special Investigation Team (SIT) chief in two Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) recruitment cases.

In an October 5 letter to Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, Kumar said Sibal had been "incorrectly briefed" about the phone-tapping case against him, asserting that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe had been closed and a special court accepted the closure report in February 2024.

Appearing for the Karnataka government, Sibal challenged a High Court order that appointed specific police officers to investigate the two KPSC recruitment cases. The state contended that the government, not the court, must have the discretion to select SIT members.

Sibal opposed the High Court's appointment of Director General of Police (DGP)-rank officer Alok Kumar as SIT chief, citing past probes against him. He also highlighted a potential conflict of interest regarding SIT member Dr Divya Gopinath, who heads the state Forensic Science Laboratory. IPS officers Anup A Shetty, Kushal Chouksey, and Kshama Mishra were named as other team members.

During a Supreme Court hearing on October 1, Sibal cited concerns about Alok Kumar's appointment as SIT head because of past allegations related to a phone-tapping case. The Supreme Court stayed the September 21 High Court order directing a fresh probe by the court-appointed SIT and later allowed the Karnataka government to replace SIT members.

'Deeply distressed'

In the letter to the Chief Secretary, Alok Kumar said the statements before the court referred to "unverified and false allegations". He added that his professional reputation had been prejudiced at the national level, noting that he had not sought the role of SIT chief, which the High Court had assigned to him on its own.

"I am deeply distressed that, for no fault whatsoever on my part, my name has been unnecessarily dragged into the controversy, and my professional integrity and reputation have been questioned before the Hon'ble Supreme Court," Alok Kumar wrote.

"The statements made before the Hon'ble Supreme Court by Shri Kapil Sibal are contrary to the factual position reflected in the official records," he added.

Emphasising that no inquiry or probe is pending against him, Alok Kumar said, "The CBI investigation concerning the telephone tapping/interception issue stands officially closed. The CBI filed its B-report/closure report in the telephone tapping/wiretapping case initially in June 2021, and finally in February 2024..."

"Despite the unimpeached factual record, Senior Advocate Shri Kapil Sibal was incorrectly briefed, which resulted in inaccurate oral submissions being placed before the Hon'ble Supreme Court. These erroneous submissions included, but were not limited to, the unsubstantiated allegations that I am the subject of a CBI probe and that my professional credentials are in question."

Alok Kumar asked the Chief Secretary to intervene personally and ensure the state's legal team does not include any unverified or incorrect allegations concerning him in the affidavit to be filed before the Supreme Court.

The phone-tapping case

In 2019, while Alok Kumar served as the Bengaluru city police commissioner, allegations surfaced about the illegal interception of phone calls of politicians, bureaucrats, and prominent public figures. Just 47 days after he took charge, the government led by then-chief minister B S Yediyurappa transferred him. The CBI subsequently registered an FIR, conducted searches, and questioned Alok Kumar as part of the investigation.

The agency filed its closure report in June 2021 after concluding that the investigation could not establish that Alok Kumar had leaked lawfully intercepted audio files to a journalist. A special court formally accepted the report in February 2024.

Meanwhile, a pending departmental inquiry initiated by the state government was closed in May 2023 after the government led by then-Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai dropped all charges against him. However, in May 2025, the state government issued a fresh show-cause notice and ordered a new inquiry against Alok Kumar.

He challenged the notice before the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), which stayed the government's action after his counsel argued that the fresh proceedings were initiated with malafide intent to derail his upcoming promotion, particularly given the CBI's closure report. In December 2025, Alok Kumar was promoted to DGP rank and currently serves as the head of Prisons and Correctional Services.

Two months before his promotion, the state government filed a writ petition challenging the CAT order. The Karnataka High Court declined to grant a stay on the CAT order, and the matter remains pending before the court.