A.P. Shoukathali, Superintendent of Police, Crime Branch, Alappuzha, has been appointed the new District Police Chief of Kozhikode city.

The government has also created an ex-cadre post of Commissioner of Police, Kozhikode City, for a period of one year with effect from June 11. As part of the reshuffle, Merin Joseph, the current District Police Chief of Kozhikode city, has been transferred and posted as District Police Chief of Kozhikode Rural police district.

Mr. Shoukathali, who was conferred IPS in 2015, has investigated several high-profile cases at the state and national levels. He recently headed a special investigation team that probed the alleged assault by police officers, including those attached to former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s security detail, on Indian Youth Congress activists in Alappuzha in 2023.

He joined the force in 1995 as a Sub Inspector. His contributions to investigative policing earned him the Home Ministry’s Award for Excellence in crime investigation. Mr. Shoukathali has also served with the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

During his tenure as Deputy Superintendent of Police, Thalassery, he was part of a special team that tracked down and arrested key suspects in the T.P. Chandrasekharan murder case. He was part of the investigation team that probed the sensational Chelembra bank robbery case in Malappuram district in early 2008. He also played a crucial role in the investigation into the 2020 gold smuggling case.