CAT stays transfer of Pune rural SP Pankaj Deshmukh to Mumbai till Oct 19

Deshmukh placed reliance on the case of Dattatraya R Karale vs Shekhar B. Genbhau and others, writ petition number 3717 of 2024

The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) comprising member Santosh Mehra and Justice MG Sewlikar on September 6 stayed the transfer of Pune rural superintendent of police (SP) Pankaj Deshmukh till October 19, the date of listing of the matter for hearing before the bench. Deshmukh had approached CAT against his sudden mid-term transfer affected by the state home department on the evening of September 5. The home department has transferred Deshmukh to Mumbai as deputy commissioner of police and appointed Pune deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Sandeep Singh Gill as rural SP.

The 2011 batch IPS officer began his policing career from Amravati rural. (HT PHOTO)

The tribunal in its order stated, “The applicant was transferred to Pune rural police station by an order dated January 31, 2024. He has not completed a minimum tenure of two years as per the provisions of Section 22 of the Maharashtra Police Act. He submits that all of a sudden, on September 5, 2024, the applicant was transferred to Brihan Mumbai as deputy commissioner of police. The applicant has stated that he is still functioning as superintendent of police, Pune rural. He submits that this is a mid-term transfer and no reasons are given for effecting it.”

Deshmukh placed reliance on the case of Dattatraya R Karale vs Shekhar B. Genbhau and others, writ petition number 3717 of 2024. “It is a mid-term transfer for which reasons have to be given as held by High Court of Bombay in Dattatraya R Karale case. It is seen from the above facts that the transfer of the applicant is a general transfer. The respondents have not assigned any reason for transfer. Since reasons are not given, the transfer cannot be sustained,” the tribunal stated.

The 2011 batch IPS officer began his policing career from Amravati rural. Thereafter, he served at Nanded, Ahmednagar, Osmanabad and Satara districts as SP. In Pune, he served as DCP (traffic) and DCP (Zone IV).