The Delhi High Court on Thursday asked the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and Haryana government to respond on a plea challenging the appointment of Manoj Kumar Yadava as the State’s Director General of Police (DGP).
Justice Suresh Kait also asked Mr. Yadava to file his reply on the plea and posted the case for hearing on July 11.
The court was hearing a plea filed by IPS officer Prabhat Ranjan Deo. It stated that despite being the senior-most and fully eligible, Mr. Deo was overlooked and superseded and not even considered by UPSC in the process of empanelment for the post of DGP. During the hearing, the counsel representing UPSC argued that Mr. Deo has chosen a wrong forum.
The plea said his representation to UPSC Chairman was neither considered nor replied to. The petition said the February 18 order regarding Mr. Yadava’s appointment was in complete contravention of the settled principles of law and contrary to the guidelines issued by the Central government regarding the appointment of the DGP in the police hierarchy.
Senior advocate Ajit Kumar Sinha and lawyer Ashwarya Sinha, appearing for Mr. Deo, opposed the UPSC argument, contending that the High Court has the jurisdiction over the matter as Mr. Yadava was not discharging any duty for the Union of India but was doing it for the State.
They said Mr. Deo was not even considered for promotion to the post even though he has a “blemishless record of over 30 years of service”. The letter stated that Mr. Yadava is an IPS officer of the 1988 batch as he was selected for the IPS on the basis of the 1987 civil services examination. He joined the IPS on August 21, 1989, but in view of a 1991 judgment of the Supreme Court, he was assigned by the Ministry of Home Affairs August 1988 as the deemed date of joining the service.
(With PTI inputs)
