I stood firm: 36-year legal battle ends with ex-Kerala DGP's conviction

A 36-year legal battle between an Alappuzha-based family and former Kerala DGP Tomin J Thachankary took a major turn on Thursday when a Vigilance court in Kottayam sentenced the former IPS officer to four years of rigorous imprisonment in a disproportionate assets case. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 30.84 lakh, and Thachankary was later shifted to Poojappura Central Jail in Thiruvananthapuram.

Complainant Bobby Kuruvila said he was satisfied with the verdict but made it clear that the case was not the end of the matter.

Thachankary moved the Kerala High Court on Friday against the verdict, while Kuruvila said he would approach the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau with another complaint alleging corruption by the former officer.

Kuruvila told a TV channel, "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."

According to Kuruvila, the dispute goes back to 1990, when Thachankary was posted as ASP in Alappuzha. He alleged that the officer had tried to implicate him and his family in a false case, claiming 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.

Kuruvila said it was after this that the family began its legal battle against Thachankary. He said the first case against the family was registered on September 13, 1990, and that 36 years and four days had passed since then.

Kuruvila also alleged that Thachankary and his team had harassed his family and relatives and carried out searches at their homes, 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.

He further alleged that Thachankary had threatened him several times and asked him to withdraw from the case. As the threats increased, he said, he moved 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.

The Kottayam Vigilance Court judge, K V Rajanish, found Thachankary guilty under the Prevention of Corruption Act. In its observation, the court said, "The higher the public office held, greater is the obligation to maintain the highest standards of integrity and probity," noting that Thachankary was a senior IPS officer who had held several responsible posts during his career, including that of DGP.

The case relates to assets allegedly amassed by him between 2003 and 2007 that were disproportionate to his known sources of income.

Kuruvila said the investigation covered only those four years and alleged that there were further instances of corruption between 2007 and Thachankary's retirement 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," he said.

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

Recapping the long case, Kuruvila said the verdict had come after years of pressure, expense and persistence.

"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," he said soon after the verdict.