HC rejects PIL seeking dismissal of UP IAS officer convicted

The Allahabad High Court today dismissed a petition seeking termination of services of senior IAS officer Rajeev Kumar who is in jail following his conviction in a corruption case by a CBI court. A division bench, comprising Justice Dilip Gupta and Justice R N Kakkar, dismissed the Public Interest Litigation filed by former Punjab DGP Julio Ribeiro and a number of other retired civil servants who had contended that as per the All India Service (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, Kumar deserved "major punishment" following his conviction in a corruption case.
Kumar has been held guilty by a special CBI court at Ghaziabad of corruption in allotment of plots in Gautam Buddh Nagar district in 1990s when he was Deputy CEO of Noida Authority.

His appeal against the CBI court order whereby he has been awarded three years' imprisonment and slapped with a fine, was also rejected by the High Court on February 24 last.
The court dismissed the PIL seeking his dismissal taking note of Kumar's submission that he has moved the Supreme Court challenging the High Court order upholding his conviction by a lower court and his appeal was pending.
Moreover, he had submitted, dismissal of service could not be effected without completing departmental procedures.
Alongside Kumar, former Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Neera Yadav, now retired from service and the then Chairman of Noida Authority, has also been convicted and is currently lodged in a jail.