Ex-Keralam DGP Tomin Thachankary gets four-year jail term in disproportionate assets case

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Tomin J. Thachankary (file) | Photo Credit: S. MAHINSHA

The Court of Enquiry Commissioner and Special Judge (Vigilance), Kottayam, on Thursday (September 17, 2026) sentenced retired Director General of Police (DGP) Tomin J. Thachankary to four years in prison in a long-standing disproportionate assets case.

Pronouncing the quantum of sentence, Judge K.V. Rejanish also imposed a fine of ₹30.84 lakh on Mr. Thachankary. Following the verdict, Mr. Thachankary is set to be shifted to the Thiruvananthapuram Central Jail. He is likely to appeal against the verdict before the Kerala High Court within 30 days.

Earlier in the day, the court had found him guilty of accumulating assets disproportionate to his known sources of income between January 1, 2003 and July 7, 2007. Prior to pronouncing the sentence, Mr. Thachankary also told the court that he had experienced chest pain two days ago and was not keeping well.

According to the chargesheet filed by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB), Mr. Thachankary had amassed assets worth ₹64 lakh in excess of his known sources of income. The investigation found that his assets were 135% higher than his known sources of income.

The VACB registered the case in 2007, when Mr. Thachankary was promoted as a Deputy Inspector General (DIG). He retired as DGP in 2023.

The VACB filed the chargesheet in 2013. The case was initially heard by the Thrissur Vigilance Court before being transferred to the Muvattupuzha Vigilance Court and later to the Kottayam Vigilance Court.

Mr. Thachankary had challenged the proceedings before the Kerala High Court and the Supreme Court, seeking a reinvestigation into the allegations. Both courts dismissed his pleas, allowing the trial to proceed.

During the trial, Mr. Thachankary also sought to be discharged from the case, contending that the assets under scrutiny were ancestral properties inherited from his parents. The court rejected the contention.

The former Joint Secretary of the Home Department, among others, was examined as a prosecution witness. A former Additional Chief Secretary, a former Additional DGP, Income Tax officials and Mr. Thachankary’s sister were examined as defence witnesses.

The investigation was initiated on the basis of a complaint filed by Bobby Kuruvila, who alleged that Mr. Thachankary had amassed houses, flats, properties and other assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

Public Prosecutor K.K. Sreekanth appeared for the prosecution.

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