I am amazed by your knowledge on all topics and discussions. Please provide more details on why do you think BK copied Thi Ja with references to books, incidents in the novels, etc, instead of just saying you felt, which would help the members to contribute.
I would very much like to, unfortunately I do not have much access to Thi Ja or Balakumar's work at this time, I do not read ebooks and printed books are all at my home in India.
I like BK too, remember 'mercury pookal' and many of his stories serialised in AV. When I was an avid reader my first impression of him was that he copied, sometimes shamelessly from Thi Ja's style of writing. I need to read actual books again for examples, my apologies.