A senior IPS officer and Managing Director of the Kerala Police Housing and Construction Corporation, is reportedly planning to pursue legal action against Keral Chief Minister Oommen Chandy over unflattering comments the CM had made on the officer.
Reports said Thomas had written a letter to the state police chief T P Senkumar last week, seeking permission to move court against Chandy, which was moved to Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson.
The officer is learnt to have sought from the chief minister a retraction of his statement that the officer was transferred from the post of Fire and Rescue Services chief in the wake of “complaints” against him.
The officer was moved out of the post closely after he refused to grant permission for high-rise constructions which violated the National Building Code (NBC) stipulations.
In September, Chandy had with uncharacteristic belligerence taken on Thomas amid reports that the officer was shunted out due to pressure from a powerful real estate lobby.
Speaking with reporters, Chandy took “full responsibility” of Thomas’ transfer and said some of Thomas’ decisions were in conflict with the government’s policies.
However, he did not give out details of any formal complaint that was made in this connection. Interestingly, Anil Kant, the new Fire and Security Services Chief, has also denied permission to high-rises which are not compliant with NBC regulations.
Thomas’ recent run-ins with the state government, coupled with his Facebook posts suggesting that he was being hounded for being upright have also led to public support.
There has been no official word on Thomas’ move to counter Chandy through legal action.
When asked by a television reporter on the move, the officer said: “The law will take its own course”. Earlier this month, he had said on his Facebook page – “Should one live for his job or for justice? How do we solve this dilemma?”
