96 witnesses, 271 documents: Kerala’s first ever ex‑DGP corruption conviction

When the gavel fell on 18 September 2026, former Director General of Police Tomin J Thachankary was ordered to serve four years of rigorous imprisonment – a sentence that, for the first time in Kerala, put a senior police officer behind bars for corruption.

The verdict came from Special Vigilance Judge K V Rajanish, who also slapped a fine of ₹30,84,892 on the ex‑DGP, with a two‑month default clause added as a safety net. The court made it clear: a man entrusted with public safety cannot hide behind medical pleas or rank‑based leniency.

The case, which began as a vigilance FIR in 2007, finally reached the Kottayam Vigilance Court on 1 November 2025. What followed was a painstakingly assembled prosecution that called 96 witnesses to the stand and presented 271 documentary exhibits. In less than a year – nine months to be exact – the trial wrapped up, delivering a landmark judgment.

Investigators traced the alleged misconduct back to Thachankary’s stint as Assistant Superintendent of Police in Alappuzha, where a personal feud supposedly snowballed into an abuse of power. The core of the prosecution’s argument, however, focused on his tenure as Inspector General from January 2003 to July 2007. They argued that while his legitimate income was just under ₹48 lakh, his expenditures swelled to more than ₹1.02 crore – a 135 % excess.

Key pieces of evidence painted a clear picture of undisclosed wealth: eighteen separate deeds for four acres of land in Thammanam costing ₹31,04,000; a Thiruvananthapuram apartment for which Thachankary, not his father, paid a ₹1.75 lakh registration fee; a ₹52.5 lakh cash gift transferred to his wife; overseas trips amounting to ₹6.75 lakh; and income‑tax payments of ₹1.85 lakh during the period in question.

While the prosecution originally claimed illegal assets of roughly ₹64.7 lakh, the court settled on the undisclosed sum of ₹30,84,892 – the amount that now stands as the financial penalty. After a long procedural journey that saw the case move from Thrissur to Muvattupuzha and finally Kottayam, the verdict finally closed a chapter that began nearly two decades ago.

Thachankary was taken to Poojappura Central Jail shortly after the sentencing, and his legal team’s request for medical bail was rejected. The case, reported by Mathrubhumi, not only signals a tough stance against corruption within the police force but also sets a precedent that high‑ranking officials will be held accountable for financial improprieties.