Thiruvananthapuram: The infighting among the police top brass has intensified with the ordering of a Vigilance probe into the allegations of irregularities in a land deal in the Kerala Financial Corporation (KFC) in which DGP-rank police officer Tomin Thachankary is embroiled.
Two police officers working in the Vigilance headquarters got a show cause notice as a result of the no-holds-barred battle between two top IPS officers, Thachankary and Vigilance Director Sudesh Kumar. It is alleged that both of them are engaged in such an intense power struggle so as to grab the coveted post of the State Police Chief or DGP (Law and Order) when Anil Kant retires from service next year.
The controversy is over Rule 17(A) under which it is stipulated that the prior permission of the government is necessary to proceed against the officials in corruption cases.
The Kozhikode Vigilance Court on February 15 ordered for a Vigilance inquiry into the deal in which the KFC allegedly sold a property to private parties for a throwaway price. Since the Vigilance Court said in its order that there was no need for invoking Rule 17 (A) in initiating inquiry against the officials in the case, Sudesh ordered preliminary Vigilance inquiry against nine persons, including Thachankary, without the prior permission of the government.
Thachankari, however, maintains that the prior permission of the government is needed to proceed against him since he got embroiled in the case in the course of doing the job of a government servant. He is planning to approach the government against the Vigilance probe.
Well ahead of approaching the court, the complainant filed a petition with the Vigilance Director about the messy land deal. He included in his complaint only KFC Managing Director and Chief Manager as opposite parties. Since the matter was linked to financial dealings, the Vigilance Department SP then sent the file to the Finance Department, seeking clearance. Sudesh has now issued a show cause notice to the Vigilance SP and the DySP at the Vigilance headquarters for sending the file to the government without the knowledge of the director.
Who will win?
The present crossing of swords by the two IPS officers is a kind of repetition of the fight that occurred between the two for grabbing the post of the DGP (Law and Order) when Loknath Behera retired from the post last year. Both Sudesh and Thachankary indulged in allegations, counter allegations and mutual mudslinging for days, creating a headache for the government. But the State Government ignored the claims of both of them and appointed soft and suave Anil Kant as the State Police Chief. The government also extended his service to two more years.
Anil Kant is going to retire next year. Sudhesh Kumar is to retire this October while Thachankari has service until July next year. Thachankari has already informed the government that this case has been raked up with the sole intention of denying him the chance to occupy the coveted post of the State Police Chief.
"The inquiry is based on the court order. The court order is clear that there is no need for seeking government permission for conducting a Vigilance probe. Nothing more on the inquiry can be shared with the media,” Sudesh Kumar said.
Thachankary saiid as the KFC MD he only did the job of a government servant. “I did everything legal. Prior permission of the government is needed for such an inquiry," he said.