Delhi HC dismisses Alapan Bandyopadhyay's plea challenging Central Administrative Tribunal's order

New Delhi, Mar 07: The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed the plea of former West Bengal chief secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay challenging the order to transfer from CAT Kolkata to CAT Delhi.

Bandyopadhyay had moved the Kolkata bench of CAT to challenge the proceedings initiated against him in a matter related to not attending a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the effects of cyclone 'Yaas' at the Kalaikunda Air Force Station on May 28 last year.

The proceedings were initiated by the Ministry of Personnel and Public Grievance and Pensions.

Bandyopadhyay, who was not released by the state government, chose to retire on May 31, 2021, his original date of superannuation before having been given an extension of three months from that date.

The Union government had filed a transfer petition before the principal bench of CAT, which on October 22 last year allowed the transfer of Bandyopadhyay's application to itself in New Delhi.

On January 6, the Supreme Court had set aside a Calcutta High Court order which quashed the CAT transfer order and granted Bandyopadhyay the liberty to assail the same before the jurisdictional high court.

The apex court had delivered its verdict on a plea filed by the Centre challenging the October 29, 2021 order of the Calcutta high court.

In the present petition, Bandyopadhyay has claimed that the Centre sought transfer on the ground that the department is based in New Delhi but the "situs" of the office of the Union of India or its convenience can never be a valid ground to transfer an original application and the convenience of a retired officer ought to have been given precedence.