Punjab, Dinkar Gupta move HC; seek quashing of CAT orders

Saurabh Malik
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, January 20

The state of Punjab on Monday moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court against the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) order that set aside the appointment of Dinkar Gupta as Director General of Police, Punjab.

Appearing on behalf of the state, Additional Advocate General Rameeza Hakim sought fixing of the case for hearing on Tuesday.

A counsel for the DGP also appeared before the Bench seeking the fixing of a hearing in the case.

Also read:CAT sets aside Punjab DGP Dinkar Gupta’s appointment 

Taking note of the submissions, the division Bench of Justice Rajiv Sharma and Justice Harinder Singh Sidhu allowed the listing of the case for hearing on Tuesday.

Both the petitions are expected to be clubbed together for hearing.

CAT had set aside the appointment of Dinkar Gupta as Punjab DGP on Friday.

“The entire selection process and consequential appointment of Dinkar Gupta is contrary to the judgment of Supreme Court in Prakash Singh’s case,” read the order passed by the Bench comprising Justice L Narasimha Reddy and Mohd Jamshed.

The order came on petitions filed by Punjab-cadre IPS officers Mohd Mustafa and Siddharth Chattopadhyaya, both of whom are DGPs, wherein they had challenged Gupta’s appointment on the ground that they were “ignored” despite being senior to him.

On February 7, 2019, the Punjab Government had appointed Gupta as the DGP based on the recommendations made by the Empanelment Committee constituted by the UPSC.