27 April,2009 04:15 PM IST | | PTI
A contempt of court petition has been filed against Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, Home Minister Jayant Patil and others in the Bombay High Court.
Petitioner RR Tripathi contends that despite HC's explicit directions, non-cadre (non-IPS) officers are being appointed to cadre posts, which are meant only for IPS officers.
In October 2008, Tripathi, a former journalist and now a practising advocate, had filed PIL challenging AN Roy's appointment as Maharashtra DGP, and had also raised the issue of cadre posts in the same petition.
Though the court then disposed of the PIL - as Roy's appointment was already challenged before Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal by another officer - judges had directed state to deal with the issue of appointment of non-cadre officers to cadre posts.
"But nothing has been done after that. There are at least 15 officers in Mumbai, some of them of the DCP rank, who are holding cadre posts despite not being IPS," said Tripathi.
Though the Indian Police Cadre Service Rules permit non-IPS officers to hold cadre posts, Tripathi said that in such cases central government has to approach the Union Public Service Commission, and seek its directions - which was not being done.
"Since no action was taken to comply with HC's direction, I have filed petition seeking action against Chief Minister and others for court's contempt," Tripathi said.
Apart from Chief Minister and Home Minister, former chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, former home minister RR Patil, Chief Secretary Johny Joseph and former home secretary Chitkala Zutshi have been made party to the contempt petition. The petition may come up for hearing next week.
