A division bench of Justice Sabyasachi Bhattacharya and Justice Rabindranath Samanta directed the Kolkata bench of CAT to expedite the hearing of Bandopadhyay’s application and dispose of it at the earliest.
The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions had initiated proceedings against Bandopadhyay for attending a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28 on Cyclone Yas at Kalaikunda Air Force Station, against which Bandopadhyay CAT’s Kolkata Bench. had turned.
The Bench, in its order, noted that the senior counsel appearing for the petitioner has said that “the Chief Minister (Mamata Banerjee) has called upon herself and the writ petitioner (Alapan Bandyopadhyay, Who was the Chief Secretary of West Bengal at that time) took permission from the Prime Minister for not attending the meeting.
The Central Government directed the State Government to release the petitioner the same evening and asked him to report in New Delhi on May 31.
Although the state government did not release Bandopadhyay, Bandopadhyay decided to retire on May 31. However, the state government had given him an extension of service for three months from that date.
Proceedings were initiated against Bandopadhyay by the government and an inquiry authority was appointed in this regard, which fixed a preliminary hearing in New Delhi on 18 October.
The petitioner moved the Kolkata Bench of CAT challenging the proceedings against him.
The Central Government filed a transfer petition before the Principal Bench of CAT. CAT on October 22 allowed Bandopadhyay’s application to be transferred to New Delhi.
Bandopadhyay challenged this order in the Calcutta High Court.
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