Thiruvananthapuram: The government, citing the ongoing vigilance probe and disciplinary action against DGP Jacob Thomas , is unlikely to accept his request for voluntary retirement from service to contest the Lok Sabha elections.The government has already returned his request primarily, citing that the application was sent by email without his signature or a digital signature. “The resignation has to be sent in hard copy with verified signature. Since the email did not have even a digital signature, it has been declined,” a senior official with general administration department said.Even if he sends his resignation in a proper format, the government would leave it to the opinion of the law department as the officer is facing disciplinary charges as well as a vigilance case, said a source.“The corruption charges against him, into which a vigilance probe is on, are grave enough for him to be terminated from the service. Under such circumstances, it is unlikely that his request would be accepted,” said a law department source.Thomas had on last Friday emailed his resignation letter to the office of the chief secretary citing that since he has been under suspension for more than one year now, he wants to be relinquished from service. There are also reports that the officer is being considered as a candidate for Lok Sabha elections in Chalakudy constituency, by the organization Twenty-Twenty, that is a formidable force in Kizhakkambalam grama panchayat.Thomas is facing a vigilance probe in connection with the purchase of a cutter-suction dredger, in which the government is said to have incurred a loss of Rs 14.96 crore, during his tenure as director of ports. The government had found that the actions of Thomas in the purchase was illegal.As per the government order for the vigilance inquiry , Thomas abused his official position to help M/s IHC, a private firm, obtain pecuniary advantage over a BEML, a public sector undertaking, in gaining the order for the dredger.Thomas also came under the scanner of Income Tax department, which attached a 50-acre property in his name at Sethur village in Rajapalayam in Tamil Nadu, which was exposed by TOI, after it was found that the property would come under Benami Transactions (prohibition) Act, 1988.Thomas, who was appointed as the director of VACB by present LDF government when it came to power, was later suspended as part of disciplinary action for violation of conduct rules, by openly criticising the government in his speech as well as through his books.

Stay updated with all the Latest Thiruvananthapuram headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.