Disproportionate assets’ case: Kerala HC suspends sentence of former DGP Tomin J. Thachankary

The Kerala High Court on Thursday (October 15, 2026) suspended the sentence imposed on former Director General of Police (DGP) Tomin J. Thachankary by the Vigilance Court, Kottayam, in a disproportionate assets case.

The trial court had found him guilty of amassing disproportionate wealth, during his tenure as Inspector General from 2003 to 2007 and sentenced him to four years’ rigorous imprisonment and imposed ₹30.84 lakh as fine. He was convicted under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. 

On Thursday, a Bench of Justice A. Badharudeen allowed Mr Thachankary’s plea to suspend the sentence. Apart from a plea to suspend the sentence, Mr Thachankary had submitted an appeal before the High Court against the trial court verdict.

In the chargesheet, the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) had stated that Mr. Thachankary had amassed assets to the tune of ₹64 lakh in addition to his declared sources of income. 

The prosecution had said that there was a disproportion of 52.33% in his income and that he had purchased 18 properties in a span of four years, out of the 36 years of his service period. 

In his appeal, Mr. Thachankary contended that there were irregularities in the sanction order issued to prosecute him and that the prosecution had miscalculated his rental income, property income, payments made by his relatives, and properties acquired by his wife.