Hyderabad HC stays promotions for circle inspectors in Telangana

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court has granted a stay on promotions from the rank of circle inspectors to deputy superintendents of police in TS. Justice M.S. Ramachandra Rao, while dealing with a petition by P.V. Radhakrishna, superintendent of police (non-cadre), working in the Intelligence wing of the Andhra Pradesh Police, granted an interim order seeking to direct the state to revise the seniority list of inspectors of police (civil) issued on December 13, 2016.

 HC sees violations in seniority list
The petitioner told the court that the police department has prepared the final list based on provisions of Rule 5 (F) of AP Police Service Rules issued in GO Ms No. 2437 on November 8, 1966, but the Rule has been struck down in 2004.

He said preparing the list based on the Rule, which has not been in force so far as the length of service pertaining to directly recruited sub-inspectors of police (civil) is concerned, has a direct bearing on his seniority in the higher cadres of deputy superintendent, additional superintendent and superintendent of police (non-cadre).

He complained to the court that the final list was prepared without communicating the rectified provisional seniority list notified on November 21, 2016, to him.

The Judge ordered that since the final seniority list was notified on December 13, 2016, even before the rectified provisional seniority list was communicated to the petitioner, there cannot be any promotions on the basis of such final seniority list, which has been prepared in gross violation of principles of natural justice. The Judge suspended the final seniority list for a period of eight weeks.