THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) on Sunday gave a clean chit to DGP Tomin J Thachankary in the bribery case. The case pertains to Thachankary allegedly taking bribe of Rs 3 lakh from then Palakkad Regional Transport Officer (RTO) Sharavanan, while he was serving as the transport commissioner. According to the investigating agency, no evidence could be found to prove the charges levelled against Thachankary.
Though the complainant had submitted an audio tape along with the plaint, Sharavanan later told the Vigilance that he had not recorded the conversation. The special investigation unit also could not find the phone alleged to have been used by Thachankary while asking for the bribe. The team reported their findings to a Vigilance Court in Thiruvananthapuram, while also recommending a department-level probe against the controversial police officer. The case was registered when Jacob Thomas was heading the VACB.
Thachankary, who is facing trial in another vigilance case on disproportionate assets, was recently promoted to the rank of DGP after the retirement of B S Mohammed Yasin. The ongoing vigilance cases are said to have prevented the government from appointing Thachankary to the cadre-post of VACB director. Instead, he was appointed as the Chairman and Managing Director of the Kerala Financial Corporation. The 1987-batch IPS officer is the senior-most police officer in the state after State Police Chief Loknath Behera.