This is an archive article published on February 16, 2015
Vigilance officer probing bar bribery case says he might be attacked
Reacting to the IPS officer’s concern, Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said Thomas would be give adequate protection.
Written by Shaju Philip
Thiruvananthapuram | February 16, 2015 02:50 AM IST
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Additional Director-General of Police (Vigilance and Anti-Corruption) Jacob Thomas, who is heading the probe into the bar bribery case, a land scam and corruption case against a senior IAS officer, on Sunday said he does not rule out chances of being attacked.
In an interview to a local daily, Thomas said those who might target him were “very powerful”. “At anytime, I would be thrown out from the chair. I may be attacked anytime. But, I am certain about one thing. I am safe among the people who hate corruption and corrupt persons,’’ said Thomas.
Thomas, a 1985-batch IPS officer, had been kept away from police department for two decades by successive governments, before being made ADGP (Vigilance) last year. Recently, he hogged limelight following his supervision of three sensitive cases — the Vigilance case against state Finance Minister K M Mani that he had taken bribe from bar hotel owners to renew liquor licences; the case against senior IAS officer T O Sooraj of amassing wealth disproportionate to his known source of income; and a land scam in which CM Oommen Chandy and ex-chief secretary E K Bharath Bhooshan allegedly favoured a private builder who usurped government land.
Thomas, in his report on the land scam known as Patoor land deal, said the executive at the highest level of governance was involved in the deal. The report to Lokayukta, which is the case, had indicated the alleged involvement of Chandy and the former chief secretary in a manner allowing a private builder to carry out illegal construction on a government land nearby.
Thomas said the illegal construction was still going on indicating that only poor have to abide by the rules. When the land was grabbed by the private builder, all government departments winked their eyes on the flagrant violation of rules.
Reacting to the IPS officer’s concern, Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said Thomas would be give adequate protection.
Shaju Philip is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, where he leads the publication's coverage from Kerala. With over 25 years of experience in mainstream journalism, he is one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political, religious, and developmental landscape of South India.
Expertise, Experience, and Authority
Decades of Regional Specialization: Shaju has spent more than two decades documenting the "Kerala Model" of development, its complex communal dynamics, and its high-stakes political environment.
Key Coverage Beats: His extensive reporting portfolio includes:
Political & Governance Analysis: In-depth tracking of the LDF and UDF coalitions, the growth of the BJP in the state, and the intricate workings of the Kerala administration.
Crime & Investigative Journalism: Noted for his coverage of high-profile cases such as the gold smuggling probe, political killings, and the state’s counter-terrorism efforts regarding radicalization modules.
Crisis Management: He has led ground-level reporting during major regional crises, including the devastating 2018 floods, the Nipah virus outbreaks, and the Covid-19 pandemic response. ... Read More
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