Seeking to file a fresh application, suspended IPS officer Satish Kumar Gajbhiye on Thursday withdrew his original application that was filed before the Cuttack Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) in November last year challenging his suspension order.
Soon after he was allowed to withdraw the old plea, he filed two fresh applications at the CAT which have been listed for preliminary hearing by a Division Bench on Friday, sources in the Tribunal informed.
Not inclined to interfere in the matter during the preliminary hearings of the old application on November 16 and December 22 last year because Gajbhiye’s representation was pending before the Government, the CAT, however, had given relief to him by directing the Government not to take any coercive action against him until the representation is disposed of.
The tainted officer was placed under suspension on August 13 last while he was the Kendrapada 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 was leading the police atrocities and unleashed a reign of terror on innocent public, including schoolchildren.
It was also alleged that he was giving undue protection to self-styled godman Sarathi Baba, who was facing wraths from public for his alleged offences of cheating and kidnapping.
The Maharashtra-born 2001-batch qualified IPS officer, who was inducted to the Odisha cadre as an ‘outsider SC/ST candidate against the 2002 vacancies, was also facing allegations of illegal acquisition of Government land in the name of his wife and for facing charges of financial irregularities during his tenure as Malkangiri SP in 2008.