MUMBAI: After dithering over the decision whether to appeal against the Bombay High Court judgment in the Supreme Court over the sacking of state Director General of Police (DGP) Anami Narayan Roy, Chief Minister Ashok Chavan finally cleared the air in the matter yesterday stating that the state government would not go in appeal in the Supreme Court and that the process to appoint a new DGP has been set in motion.
A three-member committee would recommend the name of a new DGP. After the Bombay High Court judgment, Roy has proceeded on a long leave with the state government handing the additional charge of the DGP to K.P. Srivastava, the additional director general of Police, State Reserve Police Force.
The court ruling had come following a petition filed by Roy challenging the order of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) claiming Roy’s appointment as illegal. DGP, Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Suprakash Chakravarthy had filed a petition challenging the appointment on the ground that Roy superseded three other officers senior to him — S.S. Virk, managing director of Maharashtra Police Welfare Housing Corporation Limited, Chakravarthy and J.D. Virkar, director general of police (Home Guards) for the post.
The Bombay High Court on Feb. 5 had set aside the appointment of Roy as Maharashtra DGP, terming it as contrary to law. Former Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Gopinath Munde said “If the government has a sense of propriety, it should dismiss Roy within 24 hours.”
The court had given four weeks time to the government to appoint a new DGP. The court had stayed the order for two weeks. Since the two weeks period ended on Thursday, the government handed over the additional charge to Srivastava till the new DGP is appointed.
