The Uttarakhand High Court has issued notice to the Central government and Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) Chairman Justice L Narasimha Reddy on a petition filed by Indian Forest Services Officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi.
A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Ravi Malimath and Justice Alok Kumar Verma on Wednesday issued a notice on the plea against a CAT order dated December 4, 2020, transferring his case challenging the present system of empanelment at the level of joint secretary in the Central government, from the Nainital bench of CAT to principal bench in Delhi.
According to the plea, the case filed by Chaturvedi was being heard by the Nainital circuit bench of CAT but was transferred to the principal bench of CAT in Delhi on an application moved by the Central government in the matter.
The plea said that according to the roster system the matter will now be heard by CAT Chairman Justice L Narasimha Reddy. It alleged that the Chairman was openly litigant against the petitioner and had a long history of extreme personal bais against the officer.
The plea said that the order passed by the CAT Chairman is in blatant violation of principles of natural justice. It termed the December 4 order "against the spirit of the Administrative Tribunal Act, 1985," and said that the grounds taken by the CAT Chairman were "completely frivolous".
The matter is now listed to come up for hearing before the High Court on January 13.
( With inputs from ANI )
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