A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Thursday granted the State government 10 days time to file a statement in response to the allegation that Tomin J. Thachankary, Additional Director General of Police, has been appointed at the Police Headquarters to keep tabs on the activities of the reinstated State Police Chief (SPC) T.P. Senkumar.
Terming the allegations as serious, the Bench observed that the statement should be a detailed one answering all the allegations in the writ petition. The court said the statement should not be made in two or three pages, centring on maintainability of the petition.
When the petition filed by Jose Thomas of Alappuzha challenging the en masse transfer of top police officers came up for hearing, the State government submitted that the petition was not maintainable as the issue was related to government service matter. It was the prerogative of the State government to appoint and post a police officer.
According to the petitioner, an en masse reshuffle of top police officers had been carried out two days prior to the reinstatement of Mr. Senkumar. In fact, as many as 100 Deputy Superintendents of Police were transferred.
Mr. Thachankary, who was serving as Additional Director-General of Police, Coastal Police, had been appointed at the Police Headquarters. The petitioner alleged that there were criminal cases pending against Mr. Thanchankary involving moral turpitude. He was also facing departmental proceedings as well. The transfers were effected with a view to keeping a check on Mr. Senkumar.
The court had earlier directed the State government to respond to the allegation against Mr. Thachankary. When the Advocate General sought more time to file a response, the court asked whether the government was waiting for June 30, the day when the tenure of Senkumar would end.
