Mah Governor makes reference to SC for Tiwari''s suspension

Mumbai, Jan 18 (PTI) Bringing a defiant RamanandTiwari''s suspension a step closer, Maharashtra Governor KSankaranarayanan today made a reference to the Supreme Courton the former bureaucrat''s suspension.

"The Governor has made a reference to the SupremeCourt on Tiwari under Section 17.1 of the RTI Act," a RajBhavan spokesperson said.

With this development, the process to suspend Tiwarihas been speeded up and it is a matter of days when theprocess would be completed, a senior Mantralaya official said.

Tiwari has defied the state government, saying he willnot quit as Information Commissioner and will challenge therecommendation to the Governor to suspend him following hisalleged involvement in the Adarsh housing scam.

"I am not quitting but will challenge the suspensionprocess," Tiwari had said after a 10-minute meeting withSankaranarayanan at Raj Bhavan on Sunday.

Alleging "misconduct" by Tiwari in the Adarsh scam,the State Cabinet had on January 11 recommended his suspensionto the governor.

"I continue to attend office as I have not got anycommunication from the state government asking me not toattend office," Tiwari, a retired IAS officer, whose son ownsa flat in Adarsh society, told PTI recently.

The government had asked Tiwari to quit the post onmoral grounds but he defiantly rejected the suggestion andinstead applied for a three-month leave, which was turned downby Governor. .