Another Gujarat IPS man moves CAT for promotion

Additional director-general of police (ADGP) Kuldeep Sharma has put the Narendra Modi government in a spot on his promotion issue. Sharma has filed an application before the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Ahmedabad, stating that he has not been promoted to the rank of director general of police (DGP) as the government “is biased against him”.

Acting upon the application, a two-member bench of CAT, headed by justice Wajahat Ali, has issued notices to the state government, chief minister Narendra Modi, home minister Amit Shah, director general of police SS Khandwawala, and the Central government. Further hearing of the case is posted on February 9.

The development is likely to cause a lot of embarrassment to the Modi government, as earlier another IPS officer had made a similar move and come victorious.  RB Sreekumar, who was superseded by others and not given the DGP rank, had to knock the CAT doors after he retired as ADGP. The government had to finally follow the CAT order and bestow the DGP rank on him.

Sharma was recently posted as the managing director of Gujarat State Sheep and Wool Development Corporation and had fallen out of favour with the BJP government for his stand on the 2002 Gujarat riots. He is reportedly not attending office for the last few days.

Sharma found himself in a difficult position after his brother Pradeep Sharma, who was municipal commissioner of Bhavnagar, was arrested by the state CID (Crime) last month in connection with the alleged land scam case of Bhuj. It was then alleged by Pradeep Sharma that the government got him arrested in an attempt to corner the IPS officer.