Telangana HC permits IPS officer Abhilasha Bisht to discharge duties in Telangana

Senior IPS officer Abhilasha Bisht. File
| Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL

The Telangana High Court has granted interim protection to senior IPS officer Abhilasha Bisht, who was allocated to Andhra Pradesh cadre by the Union government, permitting her to discharge duties in the State of Telangana.

Allowing a writ petition filed by the officer, a Bench of Justices P. Sam Koshy and Narsing Rao Nandikonda said that Central government order allocating her to Andhra Pradesh cadre was being suspended. The senior IPS officer challenged her allotment to Andhra Pradesh cadre before the Central Administrative Tribunal-Hyderabad by way of an original application.

This order allotting the IPS officer to the Andhra Pradesh cadre would be in suspension till adjudication of the original application filed by her before the CAT-Hyderabad. The Bench noted that the crucial point in the contention of the IPS officer was “the alleged mala fide interference with” the fixation of her seniority. She contended that this interference with her seniority resulted in her wrongful allotment to Andhra Pradesh cadre.

The IPS officer continued to work in Telangana based on the interim protection given by the CAT and the High Court from time to time. The Bench noted that there was an abrupt change in the seniority of the IPS officer when the separate Telangana State was carved out in 2014. “…this Bench has pointedly asked queries to counsel representing the State of Telangana as to the basis on which the seniority of the petitioner getting suddenly disturbed in the year 2014..”, the Bench noted;

It stated that counsel was not able to provide any material or had any instructions in the matter. The Bench made it clear that any observations made by it was ‘only on the basis of prima facie material that was made available to it.