CAT orders revision of 2014 IPS promotions
In a relief to a State Reserved Police Force (SRPF) officer, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) recently paved the way for his promotion to the centrebased Indian Police Service (IPS). This comes after the CAT directed the Maharashtra government to review its decision of the year 2014, wherein several SRPF officers were promoted to the rank of IPS.
The direction comes from a Division Bench headed by Justice Dinesh Gupta while hearing an original application moved by Sanjay Shintre (46). He had highlighted the ‘inaction’ of the government in selecting him to promote as an IPS officer despite he being a senior in the list.
He had challenged the decision of the Selection Committee that in 2014 recommended the name of Manoj Patil (47) considering him as a senior to Shintre.
According to Shintre’s advocate Rajesh Panchal, his client was shown much junior to Patil in the seniority list of the Deputy Superintendent of Police (Dy SP) for the year 2003. The Selection Committee had rejected Shintre’s name in 2014 after considering the list.
Accordingly, Shintre approached the Maharashtra Administration Tribunal (MAT) that had ruled in his favour and had asked the government to revise the 2003 seniority list.
After a series of discussions and reviews, Shintre’s seniority was revised and was now ranked above
Sanjay Shintre had highlighted the ‘inaction’ of the government in selecting him to promote as an IPS officer despite he being a senior in the list
Patil. Subsequently, he had sought his promotion to the IPS cadre.
Scrutinising the material on record, the judges said, “It is clear that the Selection Committee considered the seniority in the rank of Dy SP as per the relevant rules. Therefore, the revision of the seniority of the applicant (Shintre) for the year 2003 would certainly call for a Review Selection Committee.”
Accordingly, the CAT granted three months’ time to the government to hold a Review Selection Committee for the year 2014 based on the revised and final seniority list of 2003.