News Desk: The Kerala High Court on Thursday suspended the four-year prison sentence awarded to former Director General of Police (DGP) Tomin J Thachankary in a disproportionate assets case. The court granted the relief subject to conditions, including the payment of 75% of the fine imposed on him.
Thachankary, a 1987-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Kerala cadre, was convicted by a Vigilance court in Kottayam in September 2026. He was found guilty of amassing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income between 2003 and 2007.
The former police chief was sentenced to four years of rigorous imprisonment and fined ₹30.84 lakh.
While considering his plea, a bench of Justice A Badharudeen observed that the findings of the Special Judge could not prima facie be faulted. However, the court said the sentence could be suspended with appropriate conditions in the interest of justice, despite objections from the state government.
As part of the conditions, Thachankary has been directed to deposit 75% of the fine imposed by the Vigilance court.
What was the disproportionate assets case?
The case relates to allegations that Thachankary accumulated wealth beyond his known sources of income during the period from 2003 to 2007.
In its September judgment, the Vigilance court found that the unexplained assets amounted to ₹30,84,892.39, representing 52.33% of his known income during the relevant period.
The judge highlighted the responsibility that comes with holding a senior public office and stressed the importance of integrity and transparency among public servants.
The conviction was considered significant because it marked the first instance of an officer of DGP rank being found guilty in a disproportionate assets case, according to the report.
Former DGP retired in 2023
Thachankary retired from service in 2023. At the time of his retirement, he was serving as DGP of Investigations at the Kerala State Human Rights Commission.
The High Court’s decision suspends the prison sentence subject to the specified conditions. It does not, by itself, amount to an acquittal or overturn the conviction.
The case continues to draw attention because of the seniority of the former officer and the allegations concerning assets accumulated during his years in public service.
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