KOTTAYAM: In a major setback to Addl DGP (Crime Branch) Tomin J Thachankary, the Court of Enquiry Commissioner and Special Judge (Vigilance), Kottayam, dismissed a discharge petition filed by him in connection with a vigilance case related to amassing of disproportionate wealth.
Dismissing the Crime Branch chief's claim of hereditary wealth, Vigilance judge KG Sanil Kumar directed the complainant to face trial and posted the case to July 26 for framing of charges. Thachankary filed the discharge petition after the case was shifted to Kottayam Vigilance court in December 2019.
After a prolonged delay owing to various reasons, the court was to consider the chargesheet in 2019. However, Thachankary approached Kerala High Court seeking transfer of case to Kottayam citing the reason that he was part of an investigation into the irregularities with the Maradu flat construction.
According to him, he may have to appear before the same court as a supervisory officer and at the same time as an accused in the disproportionate wealth case, which may cause embarrassment to the prosecution agency as well as the special court.
Admitting the petition, the High Court transferred the case to the Kottayam court observing "that would be better in the interest of justice."
After the case was shifted to Kottayam, Thachankary submitted a discharge petition which has been dismissed now.Supreme Court advocate PK Jose appeared for the petitioner, while senior legal advisor Rajmohan R Pillai appeared for Vigilance.
Case history
Thachankary, as per the case, amassed wealth of around Rs 565 lakhs disproportionate to his known income sources. The case was initiated based on a petition filed by activist PD Joseph