The senior-most IPS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre P GautamKumar today tendered his resignation in the wake of the state government onceagain ignoring him for the post of Director General of Police.
Gautam Kumar, currently Principal Secretary (Home), belongsto the 1975 batch of IPS.
He was overlooked for the post of DGP or Head of StatePolice Force three times in a row despite his seniority.
Kumar had challenged the government's decision on all theseoccasions in the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) which ruled in hisfavour, finding fault with the manner in which the DGP's appointment was done.
Twice earlier, the government obtained a stay from the HighCourt over the CAT order and let the incumbents continue in the DGP post andretire even before the final verdict was delivered.
In the last case where the then DGP K Aravinda Rao'sappointment was challenged, the High Court upheld Gautam's contention that dueprocedure was not followed in the appointment. But by then Aravinda Rao hadretired and the government appointed Dinesh Reddy of the 1977 batch as DGP.
Gautam Kumar challenged Reddy's appointment in the CAT whichin a verdict delivered last week annulled Dinesh's appointment and directed thegovernment to take up the exercise afresh in consultation with the UPSC.
The state government, however, filed a petition in the HighCourt yesterday against the CAT order.
Peeved over this, Gautam reportedly sent in his resignationto the Chief Secretary this evening.
Known as an upright officer, Gautam was supposed to retireon October 31 this year but chose to take premature retirement, unwilling totake the government snub, sources close to him said.