HYDERABAD: The Central Administrative Tribunal in Hyderabad on Wednesday directed the Ministry of Home Affairs to file a counter-affidavit explaining the reasons for its decision to suspend the appointment letter of IPS ‘probationer’ KV Maheswara Reddy. The All India Service Rules permit the ministry to suspend an officer from service, but not his appointment letter. Explain this discrepancy, the tribunal told the ministry.
Further, the tribunal asked the director of LBS National Academy of Administration at Mussoorie to inform about the things happened after issuing memo and obtaining an explanation from Maheswara Reddy to the complaint lodged by his wife Bhavana. Did the Mussoorie director informed the same to the National Police Academy and the Home Ministry, the tribunal asked the Centre.
The tribunal bench was passing this order in a petition filed by Maheswara Reddy, trainee IPS officer, challenging the order of the Home Ministry suspending his appointment following a dowry harassment case against him.
Home Ministry counsel Vasireddy Vinod Kumar submitted that the ministry has the power to suspend Maheswara Reddy as per All India Service Rule 11(2). After hearing the case, the bench posed questions to the Central government counsel on the order and sought an explanation in the form of counter-affidavit. The matter was posted to Dec 24.