Dinesh Reddy case hearing adjourned to September

HYDERABAD: The action of the state government in posting me as the director general of police is valid and justifiable, DGP V Dinesh Reddy said in his affidavit submitted to the Central Administrative Tribunal on Friday.Dinesh Reddy and the state government filed their counter affidavits in the CAT following a petition filed by senior IPS officer P Gautam Kumar challenging appointment of Dinesh Reddy as the DGP.The CAT adjourned the hearing to September 5 as the third respondent in the case—the Centre— sought some more time to file its affidavit.“The action of the state government in posting me as DGP is valid and justifiable and all the contentions to the contrary averred by the applicant are without any substance. The original application lacks merit and is liable to be dismissed," the DGP said in his affidavit.He also mentioned various guidelines given by the High Court in connection with the appointment of DGP in the previous years.M Kanaka Durga, joint secretary, filed a counter affidavit along with the DGP in the CAT on behalf of the state government asking to defer the hearing of the present original application till the disposal of the Special Leave Petition (SLP) and writ petition, which are pending before the Supreme Court and the High Court.The state government said in the affidavit that as against the directions of the Tribunal in the case of SSP Yadav, the matter was carried to the High Court and the High Court has said that the Supreme Court's directive in Prakash Singh's case for the selection of DGP shall be followed.The state government filed an SLP in the apex court and the court stayed the High Court order.Gautam Kumar had earlier challenged K Aravinda Rao's appointment as DGP and had got an order in his favour in May this year when CAT quashed Rao's appointment.But, the state government obtained a stay on CAT verdict from the High Court, allowing Rao to continue as DGP and eventually retire on June 30, after which Reddy took over.“The two cases one before the apex court and other before High Court, pertaining to the same issue involved in the present original application are pending. As such, it will be appropriate to the Tribunal to await the judgments of the Supreme Court and the High Court,” the state government said.

Original news source