The High Court on Sunday rejected the petition filed by Director General of Police V. Dinesh Reddy seeking extension of his term for one more year, paving the way for his retirement on Monday.
The government would accord a ceremonial farewell to Mr. Reddy on Monday morning at the Parade Grounds at the Central Police Lines, Amberpet, here.
A Division Bench comprising Justices Ashutosh Mohunta and D. Seshadri Naidu refused to grant any order to continue Mr. Reddy as Head of Police Force till September 30, 2014. When the government was not passing orders as expeditiously as he expected, he filed Original Application before the Central Administrative Tribunal Hyderabad bench. He contended that the Supreme Court had declared law in the Prakash Singh case and made it clear that every DGP, HoPF shall hold the post for at least two years. The CAT Bench directed the government to pass orders on his representation within two weeks. The government reported to the CAT that the request of Mr. Dinesh Reddy was rejected and that he would have to retire on September 30.
The CAT Bench recorded the same and closed the case on Thursday. The very same day the DGP filed fresh case and this was taken up for hearing by the CAT Bench on Friday. The CAT Bench comprising a former High Court judge and an administrative member admitted the case, but refused to grant interim orders to continue him.
Aggrieved by the refusal of the CAT to grant interim orders, he moved the High Court on Saturday. Counsel for the DGP requested the Chief Justice through the Registry for urgent hearing and the case was posted before the present Bench.
The Bench heard the advocate for the DGP and counsel for State and Central governments at about 11 a.m. on Sunday at the residence of Justice Mohunta and rejected the contention of the DGP. The State and Central governments told the Bench that he was discharging the functions as DGP for the past 26 months and that it was in compliance with the Supreme Court orders. The DGP contended that he was initially appointed in 2011 and that the process was faulted by the courts. He was reappointed in the same post after one year and the period prior to the second appointment cannot be counted.
The Bench did not agree with this line of argument. Thus the protracted legal battle launched by Mr. Dinesh Reddy came to an end at around 5 p.m. on Sunday when the bench pronounced the orders.
