By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: At least 2 IPS officers of 1996 batch, Arun Bothra and Sanjay Kumar Singh will get ADGP rank from January 1, 2021 while same batch, Sunita Kakran, who is now on Central deputation, will enjoy only proforma promotion to ADGP. 2003 batch IPS officers like Kavita Jalan, Himanshu Lal, Shafeen K Ahmed and Sanjay Kumar Kaushal will get IGP Rank while their batchmate, Nikhil Kumar Kanodia , who is now on Central posting, has been allowed for proforma promotion.
Meanwhile, the State Government kept mum in case of promotion to IPS officer of 2002 batch, Satish Gajbhiye. Gajbhiye’s batch mates are now enjoying IGP ranks like S Praveen Kumar, IGP(Personnel), Narasingha Bhol, IGP(Northern Range, Sambalpur)and IGP(CID-CB) Amitendra Nath Sinha.
The Maharashtra’s Nagpur born IPS officer Gajbhiye had been running from Odisha Administrative Tribunal to Central Administrative Tribunal to Odisha High Court, to get his promotion and rank. Since August 19, 2020, IPS officer Gajbhiye has been working as Principal UP-TTI Bhubaneswar.
The a bench of Justice S. Panda, Justice S. K. Panigrahi of Odisha HC had directed the Central government to provide all the promotions and benefits retrospectively to Gajbhiye as similar to his batch mates within a month but with new promotion list out, where there was no mention of Gajbhiye.
Earlier, the State Home Department had alleged that during Gajbhiye’s tenure as the Malkangiri SP ,a hardcore Maoist was arrested on 25.07.2007. Thereafter, an amount of Rs 3.55 lakh was sanctioned and remitted to Gajbhiye for making payment of Rs 1.55 lakh to six police personnel who were actually involved in the arrest as reward. The specific reward amount of each of these police personnel was indicated and the balance amount to be paid to civilian informers.But the police personnel alleged non-receipt of the reward amount. Following this, the Director-Cum-ADG (Intelligence) directed DIG (Intelligence), Sanjeeb Panda to inquire the matter to find out as to whom the money has been disbursed. A detailed preliminary inquiry report was also sought by 30.08.2011.
“A proceeding which is not initiated in lawful manner sans the avowed principles of natural justice cannot be a just proceeding and is void ab initio. This writ petition is allowed accordingly. Consequently, the Opposite Parties are directed to confer all the promotions and benefits appurtenant thereto retrospectively to the petitioner vis-a-vis his batch mates within a month from today,” HC order had said.
Gajbhiye had then approached the Central Administrative Tribunal, Cuttack primarily on the ground of lack of jurisdiction seeking quashing of the proceeding. His petition was then transferred to Central Administrative Tribunal, Principal Bench, New Delhi. After hearing the parties, the Bench of the CAT, New Delhi dismissed the IPS officer’s petition.
The court directed the Opposite Parties to confer all the promotions and benefits appurtenant thereto retrospectively to the petitioner vis-a-vis his batch mates within a month .Gajbhiye, an Odisha cadre IPS officer belonging to 2002 batch, is reportedly facing 3 disciplinary proceedings for which the State government has withheld his promotion. He is still a SP-ranked officer and serving as principal of Urban Police and Traffic Training Institute, Bhubaneswar though he would have been promoted to the Inspector General (IG) rank by now. Recently, the IPS officer had urged the Odisha government to drop all charges against him and sought promotion retrospectively.
