IPS officers’ postings challenged in Telangana HC; govt given time to respond
Citing alleged past incidents of phone tapping in Telangana, the counsel for the petitioner claimed that appointing an IPS officer as home secretary will compromise crucial checks and balances.
A division bench ordered the petitioner to immediately approach the criminal court for permission to get a longer-validity passport. The Telangana High Court Monday issued notices to the state government while hearing a petition challenging the appointment of senior IPS officers in positions designated for IAS officers.
Justice Surepalli Nanda issued notices to the chief secretary and the principal secretary (general administration department) seeking their response to the petition and posted the matter for further hearing on December 10.
Senior IPS officers C V Anand, Shikha Goel and Stephen Ravindra are currently posted as special chief secretary (home department), principal secretary for general administration department (GAD), and commissioner and principal secretary for civil supplies department, respectively.
The petitioner, Vadla Srikanth, a lawyer and a social activist, challenged the Telangana chief secretary’s action of appointing IPS officers to posts designated for the IAS cadre (specifically, principal secretary positions). In his petition, he sought the court to declare such postings of IPS officers to IAS cadre posts as arbitrary, illegal, and a violation of the Indian Administrative Service Cadre Rules, 1954, and the Indian Administrative Service (Fixation of Cadre Strength) Amendment Regulations, 2016.
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