Kottayam: A Kottayam Vigilance Court has sentenced former Kerala Director General of Police (DGP) Tomin J Thachankary to four years of rigorous imprisonment in a disproportionate assets case dating back to 2003–2007. The court also imposed a fine of ₹30.84 lakh on the retired IPS officer.
The case was investigated by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) and relates to assets and expenditure that the prosecution alleged were disproportionate to Thachankary’s known sources of income.
Kottayam Vigilance Court Finds Former DGP Guilty
Kottayam Vigilance Court Judge K V Rajanish found Thachankary guilty under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
According to reports, the verdict marks the first reported conviction and sentence of an officer of DGP rank in Kerala in a disproportionate assets case.
The court ordered that Thachankary be shifted to Poojappura Central Jail in Thiruvananthapuram. He is expected to have the option of challenging the verdict before the Kerala High Court.
Case Relates to Assets Accumulated Between 2003 and 2007
The case covers the check period from January 1, 2003, to July 2007.
The VACB had originally calculated the alleged disproportion at around ₹64.70 lakh and claimed that Thachankary’s assets were around 135% higher than his known sources of income during the period.
However, after considering the evidence and the defence’s contentions, the court arrived at an unexplained amount of ₹30,84,892.39, which it found remained disproportionate to his known income.
The court’s calculation included:
- Assets at the beginning of the check period: ₹9.97 lakh
- Assets at the end of the period: ₹18.78 lakh
- Known income during the period: ₹58.95 lakh
- Expenditure during the period: ₹80.99 lakh
- Final unexplained disproportion: ₹30.84 lakh
The court calculated the final disproportion at 52.33% of his known income.
18 Properties Featured in Prosecution Evidence
Evidence relating to properties acquired during the check period formed an important part of the case.
According to the court findings reported by Onmanorama, Thachankary had acquired around 18 properties in Thammanam, with the court rejecting his explanation that the properties had been purchased using his wife’s funds because the transaction-wise evidence did not establish that source.
The prosecution also relied on evidence concerning:
- Property purchases and related registration expenses
- A substantial transfer or gift to his wife
- Foreign travel expenditure
- Other financial transactions examined during the investigation
96 Prosecution Witnesses Examined During Trial
The trial involved extensive documentary and oral evidence.
According to the prosecution:
- 96 prosecution witnesses were examined.
- 271 prosecution documents were produced.
- 23 defence witnesses were examined.
- 55 defence documents were marked.
The VACB filed its chargesheet in 2013. The case was subsequently heard by different vigilance courts before reaching the Kottayam Vigilance Court. The Kerala High Court had also intervened in the proceedings concerning the progress of the trial.
Thachankary Sought Leniency During Sentencing
During the sentencing proceedings, Thachankary requested that the court consider his health condition.
The prosecution opposed leniency and argued that the offence was serious given the public position held by the accused.
The court ultimately sentenced him to four years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹30,84,892. If the fine is not paid, he will face an additional period of imprisonment as ordered by the court.
Prosecution and Complainants React to Verdict
Vigilance Public Prosecutor K K Sreekanth represented the prosecution. He welcomed the verdict and said the prosecution’s contentions had been accepted by the court.
The complainants, Bobby Kuruvilla and Alexander Kuruvilla, also expressed satisfaction with the verdict. They said they may approach the VACB again regarding allegations concerning periods outside the check period covered by the present case.
Former Kerala DGP Likely to Appeal Verdict
Thachankary is expected to challenge the conviction before the Kerala High Court. His earlier challenges to the proceedings before the High Court and Supreme Court had not stopped the trial from proceeding.
The conviction and sentence currently relate specifically to the disproportionate assets case covering the 2003–2007 period.
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