CAT refuses to grant relief to suspended IPS officer

In an interim direction, the Cuttack bench of Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) today directed suspended IPS officer Satish Kumar Gajbhiye to put forth his objections and point of view before the state government within two weeks.
The state government was also directed to dispose of representation of Gajbhiye, who was suspended in August this year for alleged police excesses on public during a demonstration in Kendrapara, within two months.
Disposing of all the three original applications of the 2002-batch IPS officer, a division bench of the CAT comprising Judicial Member A K Patnaik and Administrative Member R N Mishra said the Tribunal is not inclined to interfere into the matter at this stage but ordered the state government not to take any 'coercive' action against the applicant until his representation (if any) is disposed of.

The state government had on August 13 this year placed Gajbhiye under suspension while he was Kendrapara SP. The axe fell on him for the alleged police excesses on innocent people during a demonstration in the district. It was alleged that Gajbhiye, as SP, was leading the police from the front to unleash a reign of terror on public.
It was also alleged that the Maharashtra-born IPS officer was giving undue protection to a local self-styled godman Sarathi Baba who was facing the wrath of the public for his alleged offences of cheating and kidnapping.
Gajbhiye was also facing the government wrath for allegations of illegal acquisition of government land at Puri in the name of his wife for developing a fish farm. He was also facing the charge of financial irregularities during his tenure as Malkangiri SP in 2008.

The union government had on October 20 this year also confirmed the suspension of the controversial IPS officer as per All India Service Rules.
However, challenging the delay in framing the draft charges against him, Gajbhiye had approached the Tribunal challenging his suspension order on all the three counts.