Kerala High Court suspends Thachankary’s four-year sentence

The Kerala High Court on October 15 suspended former police chief Tomin J. Thachankary’s four-year prison sentence while his appeal against a corruption conviction is pending, subject to financial, travel and conduct conditions. The court ordered Thachankary to deposit 75% of the ₹30.84 lakh fine imposed by the trial court before he can be released. He must then furnish a ₹5 lakh bond with two sureties within one week. The order bars him from leaving India without prior court permission and says involvement in another crime could lead to cancellation of bail. He cannot be released before making the required deposit. The suspension does not overturn the conviction. In a preliminary assessment, the High Court said it saw no error in the trial court’s finding that Thachankary possessed wealth beyond his known income. The court noted that he had not provided satisfactory documents to investigators to explain the assets. Its order concerns interim relief; the appeal remains pending. Thachankary disputes the conviction, arguing that investigators and the trial court made errors in calculating his income and assets. His appeal also challenges the treatment of income from various...