M.N. Reddi moves HC against appointment of Neelamani Raju as police chief

Source: thehindu.com

The High Court of Karnataka on Monday ordered issue of notice to the State government on a petition filed by M.N. Reddi, Director General of Police and Head of Home Guards, Civil Defence, and Fire & Emergency Services, who questioned the process followed by the State government in October 2017 in appointing incumbent State police chief Neelamani N. Raju.

A Division Bench comprising Justice L. Narayana Swamy and Justice R. Devdas adjourned further hearing till June 24 asking the response of the State to the contentions made in the petition that the State had failed to follow the mandatory guidelines, issued by the Supreme Court in 2006 and reiterated in 2018, for sending the names of eligible IPS officers to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for selection of candidate to the post of State police chief.

As the Government Order dated October 31, 2017, appointing Ms. Neelamani as State police chief was contrary to the apex court’s guidelines, it has been contended in Mr. Reddi’s petition that the appointment order has to be quashed while treating her appointment as “ad hoc” and a fresh selection has to be made as per the apex court’s guidelines. It has been contended in the petition that the appointment was based on the selection made by a High Power Committee constituted by the State government without sending the list of eligible IPS officers to the UPSC as per the apex court’s guidelines.

Mr. Reddi has moved the High Court as the Bengaluru Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal in its June 4, 2019, order did not accept his plea for issuing interim direction to the State for empanelling eligible IPS officers for fresh process in selection to the top police post.

Pointing out that the Supreme Court in March 2019 clarified that IPS officers considered for top post must have minimum six months of service left, Mr. Reddi stated he would not be in the zone of consideration if fresh appointment is not commenced at the earliest as he is now left with only seven-and-a-half-month of service.