PALAKKAD: Jacob Thomas, who assumed charge as the managing director of Metal Industries Ltd in Shoranur on Thursday fired a fresh salvo against the state government by thanking the ruling dispensation for elevating the MD post of the state government undertaking to the cadre post of DGP.
As if it was not enough, he said he would make razor-sharp knives which would be sharp enough to hack 101 times without losing its sharpness, taking an indirect dig at the murder of TP Chandrasekharan who had sustained 51 hack injuries.
“It’s a policy decision to equate the post of vigilance director with the MD post of Metal Industries Ltd. So my aim is to make knives, sickles and other weapons which would be sharp enough to hack 101 times without being blunted. And the government can remove me from the post of the MD of Metal Industries Ltd for the reason that I have made razor-sharp products,” he mocked.
He had been suspended from service for nearly two years on charges of indiscipline and criticising the government. The new appointment was based on the Central Administrative Tribunal’s order on July 29 to reinstate him in service. In December 2017, he was first suspended for criticising the state government on the Okhi disaster. Subsequently, he was suspended for authoring a book without taking the mandatory permission. Later, cases were registered by the Crime Branch and Vigilance relating to corruption when he was posted as the director of Ports during 2010-11.
In April this year, Jacob Thomas had opted for voluntary retirement from service and tendered his resignation but it was not accepted by the government. It was rumoured that he was planning to contest the Lok Sabha elections from the Chalakudy constituency.