A division bench of Gujarat High Court today recused itself from the hearing of the state government's plea challenging Central Administrative Tribunal's order to promote former IPS officer R B Sreekumar.
Justice K J Thaker, one of the judges on the bench, said, "not before me", when the matter came up. The other judge on the bench was Justice V M Sahai.
Another bench is likely to hear the case on March 12 now.
Justice Thaker did not give reason for declining to hear the case.
Sreekumar had moved CAT in 2006 against the government's decision to supersede him while promoting his junior, K R Kaushik, as Additional Director General of Police.
Sreekumar had alleged before the CAT that he was passed over because he did not toe the government's line while deposing before the Nanavati-Shah Commission which probed the 2002 Godhra train burning and subsequent riots.
On September 28, 2007, CAT ordered the state government to promote Sreekumar. The order was challenged by the state before the High Court.
The government contends that CAT's order be set aside in view of criminal charges and inquiry against him.
Sreekumar, in his several affidavits before the Nanavati-Shah commission, has accused the Narendra Modi Government of mishandling the riots.
