"Operation Takeover" misfires; SP fails to take charge

NAGPUR, MARCH 28: Former Superintendent of Police (SP) (Railways), Jawaharsingh, Thursday, made an unsuccessful attempt to take over the cha...

NAGPUR, MARCH 28: Former Superintendent of Police (SP) (Railways), Jawaharsingh, Thursday, made an unsuccessful attempt to take over the charge of the Government Railway Police (GRP) from the present SP Prabhakar Tayade, stating that the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) had quashed his transfer held earlier in February.

The drama that followed thereafter went on for more than two hours at Tayade’s office where Jawaharsingh camped with a hope that he would be restored as the SP.

The drama ended when the CAT order, which Jawaharsingh had arranged to be sent on fax, failed to turn up. Jawaharsingh, an IPS of the 1986 batch, had been posted at the GRP for the past two years. In mid-February, prior to the Lok Sabha polls, the State government transferred more than a dozen police officials in the State on the grounds that these officials were posted at their native places. The list found Jawaharsingh’s name even though he does not belong to the city.

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In the order issued, Jawaharsingh was asked to joinPolice Training School, Nanvij and Tayade, a state services officer and local police training school principal, was asked to assume charge. Jawaharsingh has not joined his new posting at Nanvij.

Instead, Jawaharsingh filed a petition in the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court and the CAT, challenging his transfer and subsequent appointment of a non-IPS officer at a cadre post, since the SP (Railways) is a cadre post.

Jawaharsingh had made State Chief Secretary, Subramaniam and five others including Tayade as respondents to the petition. The petition at the Bombay High Court was later dismissed after hearing.

The CAT hearing however continued and according to Jawaharsingh, it gave decision in his favour on Thursday afternoon. Accordingly, Jawaharsingh entered the office of Tayade claiming that the CAT had quashed his transfer order and thus has been restored as SP (Railways). He even reportedly asked Tayade to relinquish the charge to facilitate the takeover.

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Tayade demanded a copy of the CAT orderfrom Jawaharsingh, who in turn rang up his counsel at Mumbai to send a copy of the order by fax immediately, it is learnt. Meanwhile, Tayade rang up his superiors at Mumbai, who spoke to Jawaharsingh and asked him to keep cool. Seniors reportedly told that such a transfer of charge would prove illegal, sources told.

After waiting for more than two hours, when the copy of the order was not received, Jawaharsingh returned. When contacted, Jawaharsingh told that he has received copy of the judgement delivered by the CAT bench, in which his transfer has been quashed and set aside. He said he has sent a copy of the judgement to the Director General of Police and IGP (Establishment) for further processing.