(NSS): The state government and the DGP Dinesh Reddy have filed petitions separately challenging the orders of the Central Administrative Tribunal setting aside the appointment of the latter by the former.
Senior IPS officer Gautham Kumar has challenged the appointment of Dinesh Reddy as the DGP complaining that his seniority was overlooked.
After considering the contention of Gautham Kumar, the CAT has set aside the appointment of Dinesh Reddy and directed the government to take up the appointment of the new DGP afresh .However, the government and the DGP chose to challenge the orders of the CAT. Pained by the government’s decision to ignore CAT’s directions, Gautam Kumar has applied for voluntary retirement from service. Gautam Kumar wrote a 20-page-letter to the Chief Secretary, seeking voluntary retirement and explaining the reasons for his decision.
The senior officer has said that though courts have faulted the government on the appointment of SSP Yadav, Girish Kumar, Aravinda Rao and Dinesh Reddy as DGPs, the government which is the law enforcing executive authority chose to bypass. He said when the government chose to replace SSP Yadav with Girish Kumar, the latter was not even of the rank of DGP, he said and added that he was promoted hastily to make him eligible for the post of the DGP. He has also mentioned about the high court censuring the government in this regard.
Stating that the Chief Secretary has blindly followed the orders of the Chief Minister while promoting Aravinda Rao and Girish Kumar, he said it was strange that the legal department was not consulted. He said the government frequently chose to ignore the directions of the CAT with respect to appointment of DGPs. He has alleged that the Chief Minister has signed the file promoting Dinesh Reddy, even before the screening committee selected the candidate for the post and submitted its report to the government.
Faulting the government for ignoring the latest orders of the CAT annulling the appointment of Dinesh Reddy as the DGP, he said because of the attitude of the government, the morale of the entire police department was adversely affected. (NSS)
