The Kerala High Court cracked down sharply on former Kerala Director General of Police Tomin J Thachankary today, dismantling his bid to relax bail terms so he could fly to Dubai for employment.
Presiding over the hearing, Justice A Badharudeen confronted defense counsel over how the convicted former top cop bypassed actual incarceration entirely by spending virtually his entire custody period inside a prison hospital ward.
The bench showed no mercy.
"You have not been in jail. You camped out and went to the hospital," Justice Badharudeen remarked during the proceeding, laying bare the contradiction between Thachankary's claims of debilitating physical illness and his sudden readiness to undertake overseas corporate work.
Thachankary stands convicted by a Vigilance Court in a disproportionate assets case that handed him four years of rigorous imprisonment alongside a ₹30.84 lakh fine. While the High Court subsequently suspended that sentence pending appeal subject to strict conditions, Thachankary returned to the bench seeking permission to travel abroad. His counsel argued that persistent respiratory distress and related medical ailments warranted relief.
Yet the bench pushed back immediately.
"If you have a problem like that, then you should stay in the hospital, instead of wanting to go to Dubai to do a job," Justice Badharudeen observed. "This is not a question by a court of law. This is a question by an ordinary citizen of India."
The courtroom turned tense as the bench pressed the defense on how an officer sentenced to rigorous imprisonment never saw the interior of a regular prison cell. The judge observed dryly that the former police chief had likely encountered lockups only while inspecting them as a ranking commander, demanding that counsel apply basic common sense to the timeline.
But the inquiry stretched far beyond Thachankary himself.
Justice Badharudeen openly raised the prospect of institutional collusion inside the correctional apparatus, zeroing in on the conduct of jail superintendents and attending medical personnel who facilitated the prolonged ward stay.
I won't leave this matter without an inquiry. He must go for medical board examination. What is his disease actually?
Justice A Badharudeen, Kerala High Court
Sensing an escalating judicial probe, Thachankary’s legal team moved quickly to contain the damage. Counsel pleaded to drop the matter entirely and formally filed a fresh application to withdraw the plea for modified bail terms.
The High Court allowed the withdrawal of the Dubai travel plea—yet refused to bury the underlying scandal. Withdrawing the application, the court declared, will not wipe clean the paper trail of questionable medical admissions.
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accused / Petitioner | Former Kerala DGP Tomin J Thachankary | ||
| Convicting Authority | Vigilance Court | ||
| Substantive Sentence | 4 Years Rigorous Imprisonment | ||
| Financial Penalty | ₹30.84 Lakh Fine | ||
| Underlying Offense | Disproportionate Assets Conviction | ||
| Current Custodial Status | Sentence Suspended Pending Appeal |
The court ruled that unresolved inconsistencies regarding Thachankary's initial admission to Central Prison demand rigorous medical scrutiny and targeted judicial intervention. Justice Badharudeen stated that formal orders remain necessary to protect the integrity of the judicial process and maintain the rule of law intact.
Justice Badharudeen has kept the inquiry into the former police chief's hospital stay open and posted the matter for official orders.
| High Court Action | Travel Plea Withdrawn; Medical Board Probe Ordered |