M A I N   N E W S

Raghavan’s appointment quashed

BANGALORE, Feb 8 (PTI) — In a significant decision, the Bangalore Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal today quashed the appointment of Mr R.K. Raghavan as Director of the CBI and directed the government to find a new chief in two months.

Mr Raghavan is due to retire by the end of April. “The CBI Selection Board’s action in appointing Mr Raghavan while in the process not considering the case of Mr Dinakar at all can only be held as unsustainable in the circumstances and in the light of the law laid down by the apex court...,” the Bench said.

“We have, therefore, no hesitation in quashing the appointment of the seventh respondent (Raghavan) as the Director, of the CBI,” the Bench, comprising Vice-Chairman N.Sanjiva Reddy and Administrative Member S.K.Ghosal said.

The CBI Selection Board’s action could not be justified even on the score of administrative convenience, it said.

“We, therefore, conclude that the selection board did not even have administrative convenience as a possible ground for their action of not considering the case of the applicant (Dinakar) amongst others,” the order said.

The selection board, it said, had acted in “clear violation” of the rule laid down by the Supreme Court which was binding on all the authorities, including the selection board.

The order of the CAT, which held the appointment as unsustainable, came on an application filed by Karnataka Director-General of Police C.Dinakar who had challenged Mr Raghavan’s appointment, contending that it was “illegal, arbitrary and unjust.”

The Bench, in its 25-page order, directed the Union Cabinet Secretary to immediately initiate and complete the selection process of an IPS officer for the post of the CBI Director in accordance with the law laid down by the Supreme Court.

MAJITHA BYELECTION
Cong blasts CM on SYL issue
From Varinder Walia
Tribune News Service

AMRITSAR, Feb 8 — Announcing the poll manifesto of the PPCC for the next Assembly elections, Mr Amarinder Singh, party president, said today if voted to power the Congress government would not allow a drop of water to flow to adjoining states.

The PPCC chief said it was Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister, who had given the first installment of Rs 1 crore for the digging of the controversial Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal. “When the SAD is out of power, it launches morchas for pending issues of Punjab. However, after coming to power, it forgets everything”, he alleged.

The PPCC chief said the Congress government would not only ensure the transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab but also the left-out Punjabi speaking areas. He alleged that instead of talking about “non-performance” of his government during the past four years, Mr Badal had been raising communal passions. This could bring back the ‘black days’ in the state.

Taking exception to the support of Mr Wassan Singh Zaffarwal, chief of the Panthic Committee, to the Shiromani Akali Dal, Mr Amarinder Singh said the BJP must clarify whether it continued to support the SAD which was banking upon “hardcore terrorists” for victory. He alleged that former militants had been openly canvassing for the ruling party. This was a bad “omen”.

Sounding a note of warning to the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Narinderjit Singh, and Mr Lok Nath Angra, district police chief, Majitha, the PPCC chief said they should implement the law and not become law breakers”. He alleged the SHOs of the Majitha constituency were intimidating Congress workers.

Meanwhile, Mr Joginder Singh Chhina, president, SC/BC wing and Indian Minorities Front of the Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal, today joined the Congress along with his supporters. He said the ‘boycott’ of elections by the SHSAD had forced him to desert the SHSAD. He alleged Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra and other rival factions had decided not to contest the byelection “with the aim to help the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal”.

The PPCC chief alleged that Mr Badal did not want to take up Punjab issues with Mr Om Prakash Chautala, his Haryana counterpart, due to “personal loyalty” to the latter.

He said the Chief Election Commissioner, Dr M.S. Gill, had given a patient hearing to a deputation of the PPCC. Dr Gill had assured that the Election Commission would take stern action on any complaint received by it.

The PPCC chief alleged the SAD had brought a number of musclemen into the Majitha constituency to “rig” the elections. Mr Amarinder Singh alleged that after the ‘mock pension camps’, money was now being freely distributed among the residents of Majitha under the pretext of the “shagun scheme”.