The Jayalalithaa Government failed to see eye to eye with the Centre on allowing Tamil Nadu cadre IPS officer Archana Ramasundaram to take up official work as Additional Director of the CBI.
Appearing in Supreme Court which had banned her from performing any official task, the NDA Government urged the Court to lift the stay. Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, who appeared for both Centre and CBI, submitted that once the Appointments Committee of Cabinet cleared her appointment, she assumed office and since continues to be on the Centre’s payroll. “Why should we pay her for sitting idle,” Rohatgi said, seeking lifting of the ban.
But the Court faced stiff opposition from Tamil Nadu government. Moving a fresh application, Tamil Nadu Government accused the lady officer of “illegally” joining CBI without obtaining prior permission of her parent cadre. The state had since placed Ramasundaram under suspension and initiated disciplinary proceedings in this regard.
In the face of State’s resistance, the bench headed by Chief Justice RM lodha was in no mood to grant Centre’s request. “If the State Government says that she will not join without taking its permission, her joining is meaningless and hence impermissible.” For the purpose of continuation of stay order, Court held this fact to be a “relevant” aspect.
The lady officer who was also represented in Court claimed that once the Department of Personnel and Training issued order, she had no option but to join CBI at the earliest. The Court allowed her to file response to TN’s fresh application which claimed that she was still part of TN cadre as the order passed against her was of suspension.
The Court even aborted an attempt by RK Pachnanda, the officer to be appointed in Ramasundaram’s place, to join the apex court proceeding. The bench is expected to take up the matter on July 21.