KERALA CM Pinarayi Vijayan has recommended disciplinary action against senior IPS officer Jacob Thomas on charges of violating service rules by publishing a book on his service history without the government’s permission. A DGP-rank officer, Thomas became the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau director in 2016 soon after the CPM-led LDF government assumed office. He is now director of the Institute of Management in Governance. Sources in Chief Minister’s Office said Thomas had written the book When Swimming with Sharks on his service period and had been “critical of several government decisions, which amounted to violation of service rules”. “A committee had been asked to look into alleged violations of service rules. The committee found that Thomas had violated service rules since he failed to obtain mandatory sanction from the government,” a source said. Stating that the government will seek an explanation from Thomas on the report, the source said, “Disciplinary action would follow only after hearing his explanation.”
