CAT notice to TN Home Secy on IPS officer's plea on charge memo

Chennai, Jan 23 (UNI) The Chennai Bench of Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) today ordered notice to Tamil Nadu Home Secretary, on an application filed by IPS Officer P Sivanandi seeking to quash the charge memo issued against him.

The CAT Bench, comprising Judicial Member Ashok K Karmadi and Administrative Member Ganesan, ordered notice to Home Secretary and posted to February 5 further hearing of the application filed by Mr Sivanandi who also sought to stay the operation of the charge memo dated January ten, 2007.

In his application, Mr Sivanandi submitted the charge memo stated he had not appeared before the medical board and thus disobeyed the DGP's order.

While he was on medical leave for one month from May 14, 2006, he left headquarters and travelled to Delhi and stayed there for two days on June 12.

By the above acts he has failed to maintain absolute integrity and devotion to duty and thus violated Rule 3 (1) of the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, the memo said.

He contended the charge memo was tainted by malice. It has been issued for extraneous reasons and to achieve an ulterior object to ensure he was not promoted to the post of DIG on the basis of 1993 year of allottment.

The purpose of making him appear before the medical board was only to make him to join duty as SP.

No rule has been quoted to show a person required the permission of the competent authority for leaving the headquarters while he was on medical leave, he claimed.

Mr Sivanandi was reverted to SP's post following the CAT setting aside the 1993 select list of IPS officers. Madras High Court also dismissed the petition filed by him challenging the CAT order and now the matter was pending before the Supreme Court.

UNI