Bombay High Court on Tuesday allowed director general of police AN Roy to continue in his post till November 18.
Both Roy and the state government have filed petitions in the HC, challenging an order of the central administrative tribunal (CAT) that set aside Roy’s appointment to the top post. The CAT order was passed on October 8, in an application filed by Suprakash Chakravorty, DGP (Anti-Corruption Bureau), contesting Roy’s appointment as DGP.
He alleged that Roy had superseded three of his seniors - SS Virk, JD Virkar and Chakravorty.
The CAT had directed the state government to appoint a new DGP through a review committee in four weeks. When the matter reached HC, the court did not stay the CAT order, but extended the time till November 11.
On Tuesday, the matter was mentioned 10 minutes before the court was to rise for the day. The HC was informed that the state government had appointed Chakravorty as DGP (ACB) on Monday evening in compliance with the CAT order.
When chief justice Swatanter Kumar asked the government if it had started the selection process for appointing a new DGP, advocate general Ravi Kadam said that it had not been done as the CAT order was under challenge in the HC. “The post of DGP cannot remain vacant even for an hour,” Kumar said, adding that if the court upheld the CAT order, Roy would have to step down immediately.
Kadam and Roy’s lawyer, Rafique Dada, sought time to file their reply to Chakravorty’s 250-page affidavit filed on November 6. “He (Chakravorty) has made serious allegations against the state for being part of a nefarious design. We will have to reply to that,” Kadam said.
The court will also hear Virk’s application next Tuesday to decide on his intervention.
