Ex DGP, Jharkhand to move SC against his removal

New Delhi, Aug 10 (UNI) Former Directer General of Police, Jharkhand, Jagat Bandhu Mahapatra has moved the Supreme Court seeking to quash the order of the State Government dated August 3, 2007 removing him from the post of DGP-cum-IGP of the State.

A bench comprising Justices B N Agrawal and Tarun Chatterjee today fixed August 20 for hearing of the writ petition filed by Mahapatra challenging his removal from the post of DGP, Jharkhand.

The petitioner has also contended that the Supreme Court, in its judgement dated September 22, 2006, had directed that a DGP shall have a minimum tenure of two years while the petitioner, an IPS officer of 1972 batch, has been removed after 11 months for extraneous reasons.

The petitioner has also contended that elections to the Jamshedpur Parliamentary Constituency are to be held on August 29 and the BJP candidate hails from the community of the petitioner.

The government has taken a decision to transfer the petitioner without taking permission of the Election Commission and hence, order of the State Government to tranfer him is per se illegal and bad.

The petitioner has contended that the State Government has violated not only the directions of the Supreme Court in Parkash Singh's case, but has also violated the Code of Conduct since State Government cannot effect any transfer without prior permission of the Election Commission, once the election notification has been issued.

The petitioner has also prayed to the court to direct the State Government to immediately reinstate the petitioner as DGP. Mr B D Ram is the new DGP of the State.

UNI