Former Keralam DGP Tomin Thachankary Sentenced 4 Years in Prison

Thiruvananthapuram: For 36 years, an Alappuzha-based family and former DGP Tomin J Thachankary have been locked in a legal battle that began with a complaint and continued through years of court proceedings.

On Thursday, the dispute took a significant turn when a court sentenced the former IPS officer to imprisonment in a disproportionate assets case.

Complainant Bobby Kuruvila, a member of the family, however, said the legal battle was far from over and vowed to pursue further action.

A Vigilance court in Kottayam on Thursday sentenced Thachankary to four years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 30.84 lakh for amassing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. He was later shifted to Poojappura Central Jail in Thiruvananthapuram.

Thachankary approached the Kerala High Court in an appeal against the verdict on Friday. Kuruvila said he was satisfied with the verdict and would approach the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau with another complaint alleging corruption by Thachankary.

"Very happy with the verdict. There was a purpose to fighting for so many years. Everyone was discouraging us, saying Thachankary was a big and wealthy man and a powerful DGP-rank officer. His behaviour was also like that. But I stood firm in my fight," Kuruvila told a TV channel.

According to Kuruvila, the dispute with Thachankary dates back to 1990, when the former IPS officer was posted as ASP in Alappuzha.

Kuruvila alleged that Thachankary had attempted to implicate him and his family in a false case, alleging that he, his father and brother had tried to attack one of Thachankary's relatives by pointing a revolver at him.

"That was the beginning of everything. We can never forget what Tomin Thachankary did to us. My father complained to the then DGP. Later, the Crime Branch investigated the matter and reported that it was absolutely false," he said.

It was after this, Kuruvila said, that the family began its legal battle against Thachankary.

The first case against Kuruvila and his family was registered on September 13, 1990, he said, adding that 36 years and four days had passed since then.

Kuruvila alleged that Thachankary and his team had harassed his family and relatives and conducted police searches at their houses, including at night when only women were present.

"Searches were conducted at our house and the houses of our relatives. Thachankary and his team entered houses at night when only women were present," he alleged.

The family subsequently pursued a long legal battle against the IPS officer, alleging corruption and other wrongdoing.

Kuruvila alleged that Thachankary had threatened him on several occasions and asked him to withdraw from the case. As the threats increased, he said, he approached a court seeking police protection.

"Many people told me to withdraw from the case because he was a very influential officer. Many tried to make me step back, saying nothing would happen in the case. But I stood firm. I had faith in the law," Kuruvila said.

Kuruvila alleged that Thachankary was an "epitome of arrogance and corruption" and said the verdict should serve as a warning to corrupt officials. He alleged that Thachankary had made every effort to have the prosecutor in the case changed.

The Kottayam Vigilance Court judge K V Rajanish found Thachankary guilty under the Prevention of Corruption Act and sentenced him to four years of rigorous imprisonment.

"The higher the public office held, greater is the obligation to maintain the highest standards of integrity and probity," the court observed, noting that Thachankary was a senior IPS officer who had held several responsible positions during his career, including that of DGP.

The case relates to alleged disproportionate assets amassed by Thachankary between 2003 and 2007.

Kuruvila said the investigation had covered only those four years and alleged that there were further instances of major corruption between 2007 and the time Thachankary retired from service.

"I will fight against Thachankary till I die. The investigation was only about disproportionate assets acquired over four years. There is now the story of major corruption committed by him from 2007 until his retirement from service. I am going to file a complaint with the Vigilance in this regard," Kuruvila said.

According to reports, this is the first case in Keralam in which an officer of DGP rank has been sentenced for possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

"Fighting a legal battle against a major evil in the country and achieving victory in it brings immense satisfaction and happiness. But behind this, as you know, there was extreme financial drain and, above all, strong determination. That is why no one backed down from this," Kuruvila had said soon after the verdict.