Senior IPS officer Kalpana Nayak has alleged a conspiracy to end her life after she flagged irregularities in the Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Commission (TNUSC) recruitment process. She claimed that a fire broke out in her Chennai office on July 29, 2024, just days after she exposed discrepancies in caste-based reservations for sub-inspector appointments.According to Nayak, she received a phone call warning her not to enter her office moments before the fire. However, by the time she arrived, her room was already engulfed in flames. “If I had reached a little earlier, I could have died. This incident happened just days after I exposed recruitment irregularities,” she said.
While initial reports attributed the fire to an air-conditioning short circuit, Nayak believes it was a deliberate attempt to silence her. Adding to her suspicions, a revised selection list of candidates was published on the TNUSC website without her approval just days after the fire.
The Madras High Court had earlier dismissed a writ petition regarding recruitment discrepancies and ordered a revision of the selection list. A sub-committee was later formed to oversee the process, but Nayak insists that the revised list was finalized without her review.
Following her complaint, Tamil Nadu Police Chief Shankar Jiwal stated that the case has been referred to the Chennai Police for further investigation. “Fire and rescue teams inspected the site and found no evidence of sabotage. However, given the officer’s allegations, we have escalated the probe,” he said.
The incident has raised serious concerns over transparency in recruitment, as well as the safety of whistleblowers within the state’s police force. Nayak has called for an impartial inquiry, urging authorities to ensure justice and accountability in the recruitment process.
Furthermore, Kalpana Naik has alleged that the revised list of selected candidates was published on the Tamil Nadu Uniformed Personnel website without her review and approval, just days after the fire. This has raised questions about the transparency and fairness of the recruitment process.