KOCHI: Coming down heavily on DGP and former Vigilance Director Jacob Thomas, the High Court observed it was high time he was taught lessons in discipline. Referring to the Pattoor land scam, the court said Thomas’ conduct was unbecoming of a police officer.During the hearing of the case, the court summoned Thomas as he filed a report before the Lok Ayukta alleging the settlement register of the land was mutilated. He appeared in person only to repudiate the report which bears his signature and attempted to wriggle out stating he did not mean the settlement register but some other register. The court directed him to give an explanation in writing, but he did not avail himself.
After stating blatant falsehood in his report, he had no compunction to quote George Orwell in his report filed in the Lok Ayukta, which said, “In a time of universal deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
“One can only lament, what a paradox it was,” the court said. “Instead of submitting his explanation to the court, he submitted a post via Facebook, which is innuendo. The five honest people mentioned in the comment are the five accused in the present case.
“It is outrageous a police officer, that too a DGP, resorted to character assassination on social media of the accused. It is high time he was taught the lessons in discipline. No doubt, on the facts of the case it is appropriate to proceed against him. But, it is more appropriate to despise his act with the contempt it deserves and close the chapter, which we do,” the court observed.
Earlier, Thomas refused to register a case for the offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act on the complaint filed by the person complained before the Lok Ayukta.The VACB also declined to register a case on the complaint filed by Achuthanandan, saying the matter was pending before the Lok Ayukta. But one-and-half years later, Jacob Thomas suo motu ordered a quick verification notwithstanding the pendency of the complaint.“Preconceptions and misconceptions, predilections and predeterminations of a police officer shall not be the basis for registration of a case, especially, for an offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act,” the court observed.