Seeking voluntary retirement, IPS officer set to contest from Dhule on VBA ticket approaches HC

Rahman had resigned from his post of Inspector General, State Human Rights Commission, in 2019 in protest against the Citizen Amendment Act (CAA) Bill passed by the Rajya Sabha. However, his resignation and earlier applications for VRS were not accepted.

Advocate Jasim A Shaikh for Rahman sought from a division bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Arif S Doctor to hear and dispose of his plea as early as possible to enable him to contest the upcoming elections in Dhule scheduled on May 20.

After Rahman had tendered his resignation, the government authority concerned had said the issue related to his VRS application was pending before the judicial forums.

Rahman had challenged before the Central Administrative Tribunal an October 2019 order by Union and state home ministries rejecting his request for VRS. He had initially sought voluntary retirement in 2017, which was withdrawn by him and once again requested for the same in March, 2018 under Rule 16(2-A) of the All India Services (Death-cum-Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1938.

The second request was rejected by the government in 2018 on the grounds that disciplinary proceedings were pending against him, which were closed in January 2019. Rahman made a third application for VRS, which was rejected by the Union Home Ministry in October 2019, which he had challenged before the CAT through an appeal. However, in December last year the Mumbai bench of the tribunal dismissed his appeal, prompting him to approach the High Court.

The lawyer representing respondent authority, however, claimed that the rejections of VRS applications were justified as petitioner had brazenly continued to not attend the service over the last few years. The HC is likely to hear his plea on April 18.