Thiruvananthapuram, September 19, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Two days after former Kerala DGP Tomin J. Thachankary was sentenced to four years of rigorous imprisonment in a disproportionate assets case, a social media post by retired IPS officer R. Sreelekha about facilities at Thiruvananthapuram Central Jail has attracted considerable attention.
Sreelekha, who became Kerala’s first woman DGP and is now a BJP councillor in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, said on Saturday that the hospital block of the Central Jail was much cleaner and better equipped than the regular cells.
She listed several facilities available at the hospital block, including good beds, mattresses, pillows, fans, clean toilets, separate accommodation, a well-maintained garden and special food.
“I had improved all this when I was DGP of the Prisons Department. I am happy if someone is benefiting from it now,” she wrote.
Sreelekha did not name anyone in the post. However, the timing of the message and the fact that Thachankary is currently housed in the hospital block after being taken to the Central Jail following his conviction led several commenters to interpret it as a pointed message to her former senior colleague.
The two officers had a long overlap in the Kerala Police hierarchy. Sreelekha retired from service in 2020, while Thachankary retired in 2023 after also serving at DGP rank.
The post came shortly after the Kottayam Vigilance Court on Thursday convicted Thachankary in a disproportionate assets case dating back to 2003-07. The court sentenced him to four years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 30.84 lakh.
Thachankary, who has reported health problems, was subsequently lodged in the prison hospital block. According to prison officials, his transfer to a regular cell will depend on medical advice.
Thachankary’s bail plea is scheduled to come up for disposal before the Kerala High Court on Tuesday.
Sreelekha’s post has thus added an unusual footnote to a significant week involving two former senior police officers — one recalling improvements made to a prison facility during her tenure and the other now being housed there following his conviction.
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