Kerala HC displeased with govt affidavit on ADGP appointment

The Kerala High Court today expressed displeasure over an affidavit filed by the state government on appointment of Tomin J Thachankary as the Additional Director General of Police at the police headquarters.
Considering a petition filed by Jose Thomas from Alappuzha, challenging the validity of appointment of Thachankary, the court said that the affidavit lacks clarity on its queries, including the charges being faced by the official in various courts.
Expressing anxiety over appointing tainted officials at the helm of key departments, the division bench of the high court, comprising Chief Justice Navniti Prasad Singh and Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan, directed the government to make more clarity in the crucial aspects regarding the allegations against the ADGP.

The court will consider the case on July 10.
In its affidavit, the state government had justified the appointment of Thachankary.
The high court on June 22 had directed the state government to file a detailed statement providing answers to all the allegations against Thachankary.

The court then had observed that the charges against the ADGP, raised in a writ petition, were serious in nature.
The court had also pointed out that the actions of the government had been called into question on the ground that people holding high public office should not have controversial credentials.
In his petition, Thomas had also challenged the mass transfer of top police officers after the reinstatement of T P Senkumar as state police chief pursuant to a Supreme Court verdict.

Thomas had submitted that the mass transfers were carried out to keep a tab on Senkumar who was reinstated following the Supreme Court order.
He had also challenged the validity of the appointment of Thachankary, pointing out that there were criminal cases as well as departmental proceedings against him.