CAT Sets Aside Dinesh Reddy's Appointment As DGP

In a major setback to the government, the Central Administrative Tribunal, on Tuesday, set aside the appointment of V Dinesh Reddy as the Director General Of Police of Andhra Pradesh.

The CAT, while setting aside the appointment, directed the state government to start afresh the process to select a new DGP within 3 weeks.

The tribunal observed that the government had flouted established rules and regulations while appointing Dinesh Reddy as the DGP, ignoring the seniority of the candidates, during the process of selection.

The tribunal asked the government to send a list of senior IPS officers to the UPSC within a week, for the selection of a new DGP.

The CAT gave these directions following a petition filed by senior IPS officer and principal secretary (Home) P Gautam Kumar, who challenged the government's decision to appoint Dinesh Reddy as the DGP last year. In his petition, Gautam Kumar contended that the government had ignored his seniority with regard to the appointment.

Gautam Kumar also observed that the government had violated the Supreme Court's order given in the Prakash Singh case, in which it was stated that the state government must send a list of 3 senior IPS officers to the UPSC for the selection of the DGP.

"The Supreme Court had made it mandatory to give sufficient respect to seniority and integrity while finalising the DGP's appointment. However, the government has repeatedly flouted the IPS cadre's rules," he asserted.

It may mentioned here that Gautam Kumar, a 1975 batch IPS officer, had challenged before the CAT the appointment of K Aravinda Rao as DGP, and also got an order in his favour in May last year.

However, the government filed a petition in the High court, and obtained a stay on the CAT's verdict, allowing Aravinda Rao to continue as DGP. Later, after his retirement on 30 June last year, Dinesh Reddy assumed charge as DGP.

Earlier, Gautam Kumar was on top of the DGP selection list, followed by Balvinder Singh and K R Nandan.

The government, ignoring seniority (Dinesh Reddy was from the 1977 batch of IPS officers, while Gautam Kumar was from the 1975 batch), appointed Dinesh Reddy as DGP. He was scheduled to retire in September 2013. (INN)