Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala High Court on Thursday, October 15, 2026, suspended the sentence imposed on former Director General of Police (DGP) Tomin J. Thachankary (IPS: 1987: KL) in a disproportionate assets case and granted him bail.
A Bench of Justice A. Badharudeen allowed Thachankary’s plea seeking suspension of his sentence imposed by the Vigilance Court in Kottayam. The former police officer has also filed an appeal before the High Court challenging his conviction and the trial court’s verdict.
The case relates to allegations that Thachankary amassed wealth beyond his known sources of income while serving as an Inspector General of Police (IG) between 2003 and 2007. The trial court had convicted him under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
Former DGP Sentenced to Four Years in Prison
The Vigilance Court in Kottayam had sentenced Thachankary to four years of rigorous imprisonment after finding him guilty of possessing disproportionate assets.
The court also imposed a fine of ₹30.84 lakh on the former DGP.
Following the conviction, Thachankary approached the Kerala High Court, seeking suspension of the sentence and challenging the findings of the trial court. The High Court subsequently granted his plea for suspension of the sentence and bail on October 15.
VACB Alleged Disproportionate Assets of ₹64 Lakh
According to the chargesheet filed by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB), Thachankary had allegedly accumulated assets worth approximately ₹64 lakh beyond his declared sources of income.
The prosecution alleged that there was a 52.33% disproportion between his income and assets. It also claimed that he had purchased 18 properties within four years during his 36-year service career.
The allegations formed the basis of the disproportionate assets case in which the trial court found him guilty.
Thachankary Challenges Prosecution’s Calculations
In his appeal before the Kerala High Court, Thachankary questioned the validity of the sanction order issued for his prosecution. He contended that there were irregularities in the order granting permission to prosecute him.
He also argued that the prosecution had incorrectly calculated several sources of income and financial transactions while assessing his assets.
According to his appeal, the calculations did not properly account for his rental income, income from properties, payments made by his relatives and properties acquired by his wife.
These arguments form part of his challenge to the trial court’s conviction and the findings on the alleged disproportionate assets.
High Court to Examine Appeal Against Conviction
The suspension of the sentence and grant of bail provide interim relief to Thachankary while his appeal against the conviction remains before the High Court.
The case concerns allegations of corruption and the accumulation of assets disproportionate to known sources of income during his tenure as an Inspector General of Police between 2003 and 2007.
The High Court’s decision to suspend the sentence does not, by itself, amount to an acquittal. The challenge to the conviction will be considered separately in the appeal proceedings.
