Produce files relating to extensions :HC

Mumbai, Jan 10 (UNI) The Bombay High Court today directed the Maharashtra government to produce all files related to three months extension given to state Director General of Police Dr P S Pasricha and Mumbai Police Commissioner D N Jadhav.

A division bench, comprising Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice J P Devdhar, also asked the state to explain as to what was the public interest behind the extensions given to the police officers.

R R Tripathi has filed a Public Interest Litigation, challenging the extension granted to the cops. According to the petitioner, All India Service Rules provide extension option only for Chief Secretaries of states and also to other serving officers only if they are part of some important committee and the committee is about to submit its report or the officer is involved in budget work.

Contending that since both the police officers do not fall within any of the criterias laid down by the All India Service Rules, the petitioner has prayed for striking down the extension orders.

The state government has filed reply to the PIL, saying that since it was a matter related to service, a PIL was not maintainable under a law laid down by the apex court. The state has also claimed in the reply affidavit that the decision to grant extension to the police officers was taken in public interest without giving any explanation of the so-called public interest.

When the petitioner today brought this point to the notice of court, it directed the state government to produce, within one week, all files related to the extension so as to check what was the public interest involved in granting extension to the DGP and the Mumbai CP.

The matter will now come up for further hearing next Thursday.

UNI XR OBB RSA AS2002