Register · No. 22
Jacob Thomas
IPS, Kerala cadre
30transfers, as of 2017. 3 on the ribbon below, 1 of them documented.
- Documented
- One report
- Years with no move on record
Summary
Kerala vigilance chief under the LDF government who, by his own count, was transferred 30 times; his autobiography describes being moved out of Kochi and the Lokayukta wing right after acts that displeased the powerful. His 2017 suspension for publicly criticising the government was ordered lifted by CAT in 2019.
TNM, reviewing his autobiography 'Sravukalkkoppam Neenthumpol' ('Swimming with the Sharks'): '30 times' in a career of over 30 years. Likely from his own account; treat as self-reported.
The moves, and what came of them
Oldest first. Each fold is marked by how well the record holds it.
One report
Lokayukta (police wing)Vigilance
He writes that after three months at the Lokayukta he was moved 'the very next day' after seizing files from the Beverages Corporation and C-DIT on a complaint about illegal production of hologram seals for liquor bottles.
- Reported reason
- His own account.
- Outcome
- Transferred.
- What became of the matter
- Unknown. Fate of the hologram-seal complaint not found.
One report
Commissioner of Police, Kochi
In his autobiography he writes that on 31 Mar 1998 'an important person in Thiruvananthapuram' demanded he arrest PDP leader Abdul Nasser Madani. With an India-Australia match in Kochi next day, he delayed the arrest by a few hours; Madani was arrested late that night and taken to Kozhikode. The next day he was told to hand over charge.
- Up against
- Unnamed 'important person in Thiruvananthapuram' Government: LDF (E. K. Nayanar), Kerala.
- Reported reason
- His own account (autobiography, via TNM).
- Outcome
- Removed as Kochi commissioner.
- What became of the matter
- Not applicable.
19 years with no move on record here.
Documented
Director, Institute of Management in Government (after being asked to go on leave as Vigilance director in Apr 2017)(suspended)
Suspended ten days after a 9 Dec 2017 speech criticising the state's Cyclone Ockhi rescue: 'Why do those who cannot look after the concerns of the people continue in power?' A second suspension followed on 19 Dec 2018 over the purchase of a dredger when he was Director of Ports (2010-11).
- Up against
- State government, CPI(M)-led LDF Government: LDF (Pinarayi Vijayan), Kerala.
- Reported reason
- The speech (Indian Express).
- The other side said
- Government: public criticism of the government and publishing books without permission (first suspension); alleged irregularities in dredger procurement (second).
- Outcome
- Under suspension from 19 Dec 2017 until reinstatement in 2019.
- What became of the matter
- Reinstated. CAT ordered reinstatement in an equivalent post (Jul 2019); he was made CMD of Metal Industries Ltd in Sep 2019. He told CAT that Vigilance had found the dredger allegations baseless and that the Muvattupuzha Vigilance court found no impropriety (his submission, per NIE). newindianexpress.com newindianexpress.com
Judgment Order of the Central Administrative Tribunal, Ernakulam bench, on Thomas's petition against continued suspension (as reported), Jul 2019
Mechanically ordering the continuance of a suspension period brings no credit to a model employer.
Sources for the count
Photo: Mynameiskalam, CC BY-SA 4.0