'Sick In Jail, Fit To Work Abroad?' Kerala High Court On Ex-Top Cop's Plea

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Monday questioned former state Director General of Police (DGP) Tomin J Thachankary's request to travel abroad for work, pointing to what it called a contradiction between his reported illnesses in prison and his claim that he was now fit to take up employment overseas.Thachankary was found guilty on disproportionate asset charge case and was convicted earlier. Soon after being jailed, he reported illness and stayed in the jail hospital subsequently securing bail. "When he goes to jail, he has serious illnesses. Once released, he has no difficulty travelling to Saudi Arabia or America. How can this be?" Justice A Badharudeen orally observed.The judge said such claims could leave people thinking that courts could not see through the apparent contradiction."While in jail, he says he has so many illnesses. Now he is asking for permission to go abroad to do a job. Why such contradictions?" the court asked.The observations came while the court was considering Thachankary's application seeking relaxation of a bail condition that bars him from leaving India without prior permission.The High Court had on October 15 suspended his four-year prison sentence in a disproportionate assets case and granted him bail. It directed him to deposit 75 per cent of the Rs 30.84 lakh fine and execute a Rs 5 lakh bail bond with two solvent sureties. Thachankary subsequently sought permission to travel to the UAE, saying he needed to resume work as an operations manager with a jewellery group in Sharjah. He claimed that he could lose his job if he failed to return and said he was also a partner in a Dubai-based information technology consultancy. "How can he go abroad and do the job? Once he goes to jail, he feels he has so many diseases and must be admitted to hospital. On getting released, he wants to go abroad and work. These are absolutely contrary positions. How can this be justified?" Justice Badharudeen orally remarked.The court called for a report from the Jail Superintendent detailing Thachankary's hospitalisation during the nearly four weeks he spent in custody.The report must specify the total number of days he was admitted to the jail hospital, the illnesses for which he received treatment and the number of days he remained outside the hospital.The court said the information was required to assess whether his request to travel abroad for employment, citing financial considerations, was genuine.People will think judiciary is helmed bythose without brains, the court stated orally.Thachankary was sentenced on September 17 to four years' rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 30.84 lakh by the Kottayam Vigilance Court for possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. The High Court has not yet decided his application seeking permission to travel abroad.