The Maharashtra Home Department on Friday strongly justified the order issued by the joint secretary for the suspension of former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh.
A senior home department officer said the government’s move is well within its powers and the suspension has been done in accordance with the Rule 3 (1) and 3(3) of the All India Services (Discipline & Appeal), Rules 1969.
The officer added that the suspension has been conveyed through a letter by the state DGP. The officer was responding to Singh’s decision to not accept the suspension order from the state DGP. Singh has raised the issue of seniority in the rank and said that only an additional chief secretary (ACS) rank officer can serve the suspension order to him.
ACS (Home) Manu Srivastava is on a 10- day leave on account of illness. Singh has announced that he will challenge the coercive methods of the state government in the Supreme Court. As reported by the Free Press Journal, the state government has already filed a caveat in the court to avoid any ex-parte order on Singh’s petition.
