Former Director General of Police (DGP) of Kerala, Tomin J Thachankary, has approached the Kerala High Court to contest a conviction handed down by a Vigilance Court in a disproportionate assets case. The Kottayam Enquiry Commissioner and Special Judge (Vigilance), KV Rajaneesh, delivered the judgment last Thursday, concluding that Thachankary possessed assets worth over ₹30 lakh beyond his disclosed income, exceeding 50% of his known earnings.
The Vigilance Court sentenced Thachankary to four years of rigorous imprisonment. Despite his plea for a reduced sentence due to health issues, the Court maintained that his position of authority and the extent of power misuse did not warrant leniency. Additionally, Thachankary was ordered to pay a fine of ₹30.84 lakhs, equivalent to the value of the disproportionate assets identified.
Thachankary is now seeking to overturn this decision in the Kerala High Court. The case traces back to allegations made by Bobby Kuruvila, a self-proclaimed anti-corruption activist, who accused Thachankary of amassing properties including houses and flats, inconsistent with his legitimate income during his tenure.
A subsequent vigilance investigation revealed that Thachankary had obtained assets worth over ₹64 lakh from 2003 to 2007, which were not justifiable by his official earnings. Thachankary later petitioned the Vigilance Court for discharge, arguing that the assets were acquired through family inheritances and gifts. However, his application was denied.
In 2021, the State government authorized an additional investigation by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) special unit. Nevertheless, Kuruvila challenged this move in the Kerala High Court, claiming it was a tactic to stall the proceedings.
In August 2025, a Division Bench of the Kerala High Court accepted Kuruvila’s petition, annulling the government’s order for further inquiry and instructing that the trial be concluded promptly, leading to the recent verdict.
