New Delhi: CBI’s former official Rakesh Asthana’s appointment to the post of Commissioner of Delhi Police and his one year service extension has been challenged in the Delhi High Court which will be heard today. The petitioner has soughted action in the matter, claiming that the criteria for the appointment laid down by the Supreme court got ignored.
The order of Mr Asthana’s appointment was given by the Union Home Ministry on July 27, just three days before his retirement. “He was provided with the extension of a year as a matter of public interest,” mentioned the government in an order.
This was a violation of the Supreme Court ruling cited by Chief Justice NV Ramana during a meet to pick the Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation, said the critics of the government.
Mr. Asthana got ruled out as Chief Justice Ramana part of the three member panel to pick the CBI chief raised a Supreme court decision that officers with less than six months left in the service should not be considered for the post of police chief.
The appointment as the Delhi Police chief was enabled by a service extension granted as a special case, read the order from the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, comprising Prime Minister, Modi and Home Minister, Amit Shah.
The Delhi Assembly passed a resolution against the appointment, seeking its reversal, days later.
“I think that the appointment of Rakesh Asthana is against the order of the Supreme Court. It is the duty of the Central Government to obey the orders of the Supreme Court and make appointments accordingly,” said the Chief Minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal.
“He was not eligible for that for the same reason, he is not even eligible for the post,” added Kejriwal pointing to news reports about Mr. Asthana being disqualified from the race for the CBI chief’s post.
