HC notice to Centre, State on police officer

Chennai, May 23 (UNI) Madras High Court today ordered notice to Union and State Governments on a petition against a Central Administrative Tribunal order, quashing the 1994-95 select list for IPS, which included former DIG P Sivanandi, demoted to as SP recently.

A Division Bench comprising Mr Justice N Paulvasanthakumar and Mr Justice Tamilvanan ordered notice to the Union Government, Union Public Service Commission, DGP and State Home Secretary. They posted further hearing of the petition filed by Mr Sivanandi, to June 12.

The select list for 1994-95 was quashed by CAT on May 5 and the State Government downgraded Mr Sivanandi, who was Deputy Inspector General of Police, as Superintendent of Police on May 15.

Mr Sivanandi said CAT passed the order for a limited purpose of drawing the select list for 1994-95 by redoing the list. The Union Government alone had the jurisdiction to revise the seniority of officials. The state government had gone two stages further in demoting him. An IPS officer was appointed by the President and the State could not usurp the powers of the President, he added.

He said if the CAT orders were to be accepted, the Union Public Service Commission and the state government must convene the select committee to re-do the list for 1994-95. No such committee had been convened so far, he said, adding that mere quashing of the select list could not lead to his demotion unless the list was redone.

Mr Sivanandi prayed for the CAT order dated May five to be quashed and the consequential proceedings initiated by the State Government.

UNI XR AA VD BST1910