Kottayam (Keralam), Sep 17 A court on Thursday sentenced former state DGP Tomin J Thachankary to four years of rigorous imprisonment in a case related to amassing wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income.
This is the first case in Keralam in which an officer of DGP rank has been sentenced for possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income, according to reports.
Kottayam Vigilance Court judge K V Rajanish found Thachankary guilty under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 30.84 lakh on the former IPS officer.
The court ordered Thachankary to be shifted to Poojapura Central Jail in Thiruvananthapuram
where he can approach the Kerala High Court with an appeal against the verdict.
During the final hearing, Thachankary requested that the court consider his health condition while pronouncing the sentence.
The prosecution, however, submitted that no leniency should be shown considering the post he had held.
As many as 96 prosecution witnesses and 271 documents were examined during the trial, while 23 defence witnesses were examined and 55 defence documents were marked.
The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) Special Cell, Ernakulam, had registered the case against Thachankary for allegedly amassing wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income.
According to the prosecution, the VACB investigation found expenditure amounting to Rs 64.70 lakh for which Thachankary could not account for corresponding sources of income.
The investigation team found that he had allegedly acquired assets 135.80 per cent in excess of his known sources of income during the period between 2003 and 2007.
Vigilance Public Prosecutor K K Sreekanth appeared for the prosecution in the case.
"It is a serious crime that a high-ranking police officer, who is bound to protect the life and property of the public, illegally acquired wealth in this manner," Sreekanth said.
He welcomed the verdict.
"At this moment, this verdict is most favourable to the prosecution. Further actions will be decided in the coming days in consultation with the Vigilance Director," he said.
He said that all the contention of the prosecution was accepted by the court.
"Today's ruling further proves that no matter how high-ranking an officer is, they are bound by the law under the Vigilance. Equal justice for everyone," he said.
Bobby Kuruvilla and Alexander Kuruvilla, the complainants in the disproportionate assets case against Thachankary said they were satisfied with the verdict.
They said they would approach the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) again as the investigation in the case covered only the wealth allegedly amassed by Thachankary between 2003 and 2007.
"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," Bobby said.
Alexander said the case was a lesson that a legal battle could be fought against corrupt individuals and that courts in the country were not "sitting with their eyes closed".
"If cases are conducted properly and evidence is produced, those courts will punish the guilty. The general reaction and thought of the people here are against corruption, specifically against corrupt bureaucrats and politicians. So, most people will be happy that this verdict has come," Alexander said.
