CAT issues notice to UP on IPS officer's suspension

The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) on Thursday issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh government regarding the suspension of senior IPS official Amitabh Thakur.

Posted as IG (Civil Defence), Thakur was suspended earlier this month after he lodged a complaint with Hazratganj police against Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav alleging a telephonic threat from him.

The CAT in its notice sought detailed counter affidavits from both the union and state governments. It also issued notice to the chairman, police recruitment and promotion board, V.K. Gupta appointed as inquiry officer against Thakur, to present his facts. The next hearing in the case would be on September 2.

In his petition before the tribunal, Thakur challenged both his suspension and the appointment of Gupta as the inquiry officer.

The bench of judicial member Navneet Kumar reserved his order on Monday after hearing arguments by Thakur and state government counsel Sudip Seth. The orders for issuance of the notices were issued on Thursday.

The IPS official challenged action against him citing rule 8(6) of All India Services Discipline and Appeal Rules, wherein an inquiry officer can be appointed only after getting a reply from the officer under Rule 8(5).

In his case, the charge sheet was issued on July 13 and received by him on July 15 but even before he could submit his reply on July 16, he told the CAT, the state government appointed the inquiry officer in utter violation of the rules, "merely because of Mulayam Singh incident".

-- Indo-Asian News Service

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