Why did the former DGP not stay in jail, asks Kerala High Court

According to an NDTV report, the Kerala High Court has raised sharp questions regarding an application filed by former Kerala Director General of Police (DGP) Jacob Thomas for the relaxation of his bail conditions. The former top cop had sought a relaxation in bail conditions to obtain permission to travel to Dubai for work, which sparked displeasure and harsh criticism in court. In court, Justice A. Badharudeen questioned why this former police chief, convicted in a disproportionate assets case, spent almost his entire custody period in a jail hospital instead of a regular jail cell.

During the hearing, the judge remarked that he never stayed in jail, but instead camped and stayed in the hospital. The judge also expressed surprise at the entire process of the former DGP's hospital admission. Seeing the court's strict stance, the lawyers initially showed readiness to withdraw the plea for bail relaxation. However, the judge was not satisfied with this and continued to barrage the lawyers with questions.

Regarding the background of the case, the report states that a vigilance court had sentenced Jacob Thomas to four years of rigorous imprisonment in a disproportionate assets case and imposed a fine of ₹30.84 lakh on him. Subsequently, the High Court suspended his sentence subject to certain conditions while the appeal is pending.

During today's hearing, Thomas's lawyer cited breathing difficulties and other health-related issues as the reason. But this explanation led to many sharp questions from the bench. Justice Badharudeen observed that if you have such problems, you should rest in the hospital instead of wishing to go to Dubai for work. The judge also added that this is not a legal question of the court, but a question of an ordinary citizen of India, which highlights the contradiction between medical claims and the proposed plan to go abroad for work.

The court also raised the issue of how Thomas managed to avoid spending time in a regular jail cell. The judge remarked that please use common sense, as he was never sent to a jail cell. The judge also added that perhaps this former DGP might have only seen jail cells during his tenure as a senior police officer. However, the court's observations were not limited to Thomas alone.

According to a Wikipedia background report, Jacob Thomas.