Let effective, people-centric policing continue in Kanyakumari

To the Hon’ble Government of Tamil Nadu, the Director General of Police and the competent authorities,

We, the citizens and well-wishers of Kanyakumari District, respectfully submit this petition requesting the Government to reconsider the decision to remove Dr. R. Stalin, IPS from the post of Superintendent of Police, Kanyakumari District, and to consider allowing him to continue serving Kanyakumari, subject to the applicable service rules and administrative considerations.

This appeal is not political.

It is not directed against any government, political party, public servant or police officer.

It is a citizen’s appeal based on public safety, professional policing, institutional continuity, police welfare, innovation and the documented initiatives undertaken during Dr. R. Stalin’s tenure in Kanyakumari.

Dr. R. Stalin assumed charge as Superintendent of Police, Kanyakumari District on 3 January 2025.

During his tenure, the Kanyakumari District Police introduced and implemented a number of initiatives that went beyond conventional policing and focused on crime prevention, child protection, public grievance redressal, community policing, police welfare, road safety, technology, youth development and public confidence.

1. NIMIR - The Rising Team

One of the most significant initiatives associated with Dr. Stalin’s tenure was NIMIR (The Rising Team), launched on April 25, 2025.

The initiative was created with a strong focus on protecting children and vulnerable young people from sexual offences, substance abuse, child marriage and involvement in anti-social activities.

A dedicated team of women police personnel was formed to reach villages and interior areas, create awareness about the POCSO Act, support vulnerable children and help victims access appropriate assistance.

The initiative subsequently expanded beyond its original child-protection objective.

By December 2025, reporting stated that the 15-member all-woman team had:

• identified approximately 2,500 vulnerable children, including children from vulnerable family circumstances;

• prevented four child-marriage attempts;

• helped 45 children obtain admission to homes and resume education;

• conducted 6,434 awareness meetings;

• helped 14 elderly persons obtain admission to care homes;

• provided financial assistance to 21 students pursuing higher education; and

• assisted victims through the legal process, including court proceedings.

The most recent reporting, published on September 9, 2026, states that NIMIR had helped bring more than 600 school dropouts back into education, including children from the Kaani tribal community living in remote areas of the Western Ghats. The programme continued to monitor their education and provide career guidance and assistance where required.

This is an important example of preventive policing - addressing the social circumstances that can contribute to future crime rather than waiting for crime to occur.

2. Public Feedback Centre

Dr. Stalin also introduced a Public Feedback Centre within the District Police Petition Unit.

The purpose was to ensure that people who submitted petitions to the police were not simply given a petition number and left waiting.

Police personnel contacted petitioners to obtain feedback on the action taken.

Where a petitioner was dissatisfied, the matter could be assigned to another inquiry officer.

Reporting in June 2025 stated that Dr. Stalin had personally received more than 4,500 petitions within his first five months as SP.

This approach sought to make grievance redressal more accountable and responsive.

3. FIR - Your Rights

On 26 January 2026, the Kanyakumari District Police launched the “FIR - Your Rights” initiative under Dr. Stalin’s leadership.

The initiative focused on ensuring that complainants receive their FIR copies without unnecessary difficulty.

The police announced that copies of registered FIRs would be provided immediately to complainants either through the police station or through designated village-level police personnel operating under the Oorkaval Kankanippu Thittam.

The stated objective was to improve transparency in FIR registration, protect complainants’ legal rights and strengthen public confidence in the police.

4. Village Monitoring Scheme

Dr. Stalin introduced a Village Monitoring Scheme under which a police constable was assigned to each village.

The assigned personnel were expected to visit their villages regularly reported as three times a week and conduct community interactions and activities.

The objective was to strengthen the relationship between police personnel and residents and ensure that police were accessible at the grassroots level rather than being limited to police stations.

This was particularly important for remote communities and villages where access to formal policing can otherwise be difficult.

5. Manam Thiranthu - Listening to the Police Force

Dr. Stalin’s approach was not limited to the public.

He introduced “Manam Thiranthu”, an initiative intended to give police personnel an opportunity to directly discuss their concerns, grievances and suggestions with the Superintendent of Police.

According to reporting, he regularly met police personnel and used these interactions to identify problems affecting their professional and personal lives.

One major issue raised by personnel was the difficulty of obtaining regular weekly rest because of demanding police schedules.

That led directly to another important reform.

6. REST - Weekly-Off Management System for Police Personnel

In July 2025, Dr. Stalin launched the REST system for Kanyakumari police personnel.

The system digitised applications for weekly days off, allowing personnel to apply through a mobile application/web portal.

Requests were subject to approval by the appropriate officers, while the system was monitored at higher levels.

The stated purpose was to make weekly-off management transparent, accountable and properly recorded.

By October 2025, reporting stated that approximately 1,900 police personnel were using the REST system to avail their weekly rest days, except during situations requiring large-scale deployment, VIP visits and festival duties. The system had also attracted interest from police officials in other districts.

7. Welfare of Traffic Police Personnel

A medical camp for police personnel identified health concerns among traffic police, including cases of varicose veins.

In response, measures were taken to provide traffic personnel with opportunities to sit during periods of lower traffic, along with umbrella barricades and stockings for personnel who were particularly affected.

These measures demonstrate attention to the welfare of the personnel responsible for maintaining road safety every day.

8. Vettri Pathai - Supporting Youth Who Aspire to Join the Police

Another major initiative was “Vettri Pathai” (Path to Success), a free coaching initiative for young people preparing for the Tamil Nadu Police Sub-Inspector examination.

The programme provided access to guidance from experienced police personnel and experts, along with study support.

Dr. Stalin also supported the provision of books and educational resources for aspirants.

The programme subsequently produced tangible results: reporting in January 2026 highlighted a young beneficiary, G. Joyson, who successfully cleared the SI examination after preparing through the centre.

This is significant because the initiative did not merely seek to recruit people into policing; it sought to help young people, including those from economically difficult backgrounds, obtain opportunities through education and competitive examinations.

9. Kumari Kavalan - AI-Based Public Assistance

In December 2025, Kanyakumari District Police introduced “Kumari Kavalan,” an AI-enabled digital assistance kiosk, unveiled by Dr. Stalin.

The system was designed particularly with the district’s large tourist population and diverse visitors in mind.

It supports Tamil, English, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi.

Among its features are:

• an SOS emergency button;

• transmission of the user’s location to police patrol units;

• assistance for reporting missing persons or lost belongings;

• an AI-based Tamil support assistant; and

• a directory of important emergency contacts.

This represents a shift towards using technology to make police assistance more accessible to residents and visitors.

10. KAAVAL AI - Technology for Road Safety

During 2026, Kanyakumari Police also introduced KAAVAL AI, an AI-based traffic monitoring system.

The system uses existing CCTV infrastructure to identify traffic violations and display the registration number of offending vehicles on LED screens, with the stated goal of improving enforcement and public awareness.

Dr. Stalin inaugurated the initiative in Nagercoil.

The initiative was subsequently expanded, with All India Radio reporting in July 2026 that the AI traffic-violation detection system had been expanded to 10 locations in the district, as part of the effort towards safer roads and the Zero Accident Kumari initiative.

The technology was developed with student participation and institutional collaboration, demonstrating an effort to connect policing with local technological innovation.

11. Recognition for Crime Control

Perhaps most importantly, these initiatives were not merely promotional projects.

In June 2026, at the Tamil Nadu Government’s conference involving district collectors, police and forest officers, Kanyakumari SP R. Stalin received a crime-control award.

The award was presented among the awards recognising police officers for performance in crime control.

This provides an important independent indication that his tenure had produced measurable policing outcomes recognised at the State level.

12. Police Support for Vulnerable Communities

The NIMIR programme also expanded its work to vulnerable elderly persons and people requiring assistance.

Reporting documented the team’s intervention in helping elderly people without caretakers access care facilities, alongside assistance to children and students.

This reflects a broader model of community policing in which police intervention is not limited to arrest and investigation but also includes prevention, protection, referral and rehabilitation.

13. Police Welfare and Family Support

During his tenure, Kanyakumari District Police also introduced a programme providing four-wheeler driving training to families of police personnel.

Reporting stated that 20 beneficiaries from police families subsequently received driving licences after completing the training programme.

Such initiatives recognise that police welfare extends beyond the individual officer to their families.

 

WHY CONTINUITY MATTERS

The above initiatives show a consistent pattern.

Dr. R. Stalin’s tenure in Kanyakumari was not limited to traditional law-and-order policing.

It combined:

All the welfare of all the people’s of Kanyakumari District 

Many of these initiatives are ongoing programmes rather than completed one-time projects.

The NIMIR programme, for example, was still producing measurable results immediately before the reported transfer, with more than 600 school dropouts brought back into education as of September 2026.

Similarly, technology-based road-safety initiatives were still being expanded during 2026.

Therefore, an abrupt change in leadership raises a legitimate administrative question:

Should an officer associated with ongoing district-wide initiatives be moved away at a point when those programmes are still developing and producing results?

We respectfully believe that this question deserves consideration.

 

WE RESPECT THE AUTHORITY OF THE GOVERNMENT

We acknowledge that transfers, postings and administrative decisions concerning IPS officers fall within the authority of the Government and competent police administration.

We are not asking the Government to abandon its authority.

We are asking the Government to exercise that authority after considering:

• continuity of ongoing public-safety programmes;

• the documented crime-control recognition received by Kanyakumari Police;

• the welfare and morale of police personnel;

• the public-facing grievance mechanisms introduced;

• child-protection and education initiatives;

• technology-driven road-safety programmes;

• the institutional knowledge accumulated by the district police leadership; and

• the interests and safety of the people of Kanyakumari.

We also acknowledge that the reasons for an individual transfer may involve administrative matters that cannot always be disclosed publicly.

Therefore, we do not presume or allege any undisclosed motive behind the transfer.

Our request is based solely on the publicly documented work carried out during Dr. Stalin’s tenure.

 

OUR REQUEST

We respectfully request the Hon’ble Government of Tamil Nadu and the competent authorities to:

1.

Reconsider the decision to remove Dr. R. Stalin, IPS from Kanyakumari District.

2.

Consider retaining Dr. R. Stalin, IPS as Superintendent of Police, Kanyakumari District, if legally and administratively permissible.

3.

Give due consideration to the crime-control recognition received by Kanyakumari Police under Dr. Stalin’s tenure when evaluating the continuity of district policing.

4.

Ensure that the people of Kanyakumari continue to receive transparent, accessible, accountable and people-oriented policing.

5. Over all we need our SP back to Kanniyakumari

 

THIS IS NOT ABOUT ONE OFFICER

Ultimately, this petition is bigger than an individual.

It is about what kind of policing we want.

A police officer who listens to citizens.

A police officer who listens to his own personnel.

A police department that reaches villages.

A police force that protects children before they become victims.

A system that brings school dropouts back into education.

A system that makes FIR procedures more transparent.

A system that cares about the welfare of police personnel.

A police department willing to use artificial intelligence and technology for road safety.

A police administration that has received State-level recognition for crime control.

That is the model of policing that we believe Kanyakumari deserves to preserve.

We therefore respectfully request the Government of Tamil Nadu to review the decision concerning Dr. R. Stalin, IPS and consider allowing him to continue serving the people of Kanyakumari.

If that is not administratively possible, we request that the Government ensure full continuity of the programmes and reforms established during his tenure, so that the people of Kanyakumari do not lose the benefits of initiatives that are already producing results.

 

OUR APPEAL

For the children who returned to school.

For the families who found a more responsive grievance system.

For the police personnel who received better access to weekly rest and welfare support.

For the villages brought closer to the police.

For the young people preparing for careers through Vettri Pathai.

For tourists and residents who can access technology-enabled emergency assistance.

For safer roads through technology and innovation.

For professional and accountable policing.

For the continuity of public service.

We respectfully ask:

RETAIN DR. R. STALIN, IPS IN KANYAKUMARI.

LET EFFECTIVE POLICING CONTINUE.

LET PUBLIC SAFETY COME FIRST.

LET PERFORMANCE, PROFESSIONALISM AND PUBLIC SERVICE BE GIVEN THEIR DUE WEIGHT.

Signed:

Citizens of Kanyakumari District

Residents of Tamil Nadu

Concerned citizens of India

Supporters of professional, accountable and people-centric policing