A day after the Central Administrative Tribunal struck down the appointment of DG&IGP Shankar Mahadev Bidari as null and void, he has decided to move the high court challenging the order. Mr Bidari is expected to file the petition in the high court on Monday. It is learnt that he has reportedly decided to argue his own case before the court.
Meanwhile, sources said the State government will seek legal opinion over questioning the CAT order before the HC. The CAT has also instructed the State to appoint senior-most IPS officer and DGP-Home Guards, Fire & Emergency Services, Mr A.R. Infant, as ad-hoc DG&IGP till a fresh appointment is made.
On his part, Mr Infant lost no time in filing a caveat before the high court contending that the court should hear him before admitting any petition challenging the CAT order. Mr Infant had challenged the appointment of Mr Bidari in December last year. The CAT quashed the appointment of Mr Bidari after taking cognisance of the allegations of human rights violations against him during his tenure as head of the Special Task Force, constituted to nab notorious brigand Veerappan.
The CAT has also said that by appointing Mr Bidari, the State had ignored the seniority of Mr Infant, and asked it to send a fresh list of officers to the UPSC for empanelment to the post and to the Commission to empanel the officers.