Puts promotion of four batches of IPS officers on hold pending clarification

In a strange query, the Ministry of Home Affairs has sought a clarification from the Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary as to how T.K. Rajendran, a 1984-batch IPS officer, is the Director-General of Police/Head of Police Force in the State since he should have retired from service two years ago.

Replying to a proposal of the State government to promote four batches of IPS officers in the ranks of Superintendent of Police, Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Inspector-General of Police and Additional Director-General of Police, the Home Ministry raised certain queries and called for an explanation.

Pointing out that the date of birth of Mr. Rajendran is June 15, 1957, the letter received on Friday said, “It is clear that the said officer would have been retired from service on attaining the age of his superannuation on June 30, 2017, whereas the State government is indicating him as DGP and Head of Police Force and date of his retirement June 30, 2019.”

“It is surprising that the Ministry of Home Affairs is ignorant of the fact that Mr. Rajendran was appointed Director-General of Police/Head of Police Force on the day he was to retire from service. He got the benefit of a fixed two-year tenure as per the Supreme Court ruling in the Prakash Singh case. The Union Public Service Commission was also part of the process...moreover he has been communicating with the Centre on various issues in the last two years,” a senior police officer told The Hindu on Friday.

Vacant posts

Seeking to know why cadre posts exclusively meant for IPS officers remained vacant for more than six months, the Home Ministry asked how police officers were kept in ex-cadre posts for more than two years without the approval of the Centre. These two issues were in violation of Rule 4(2) and Rule 10 of IPS (Cadre) Rules, 1954, respectively.

The proposal of the State government recommending promotion to IPS officers had referred to two officers — B. Balanagadevi and D. Abhinav Kumar — as officers on Central deputation. It was pointed out that these officers were on inter-cadre deputation to Telangana and Bihar respectively and could not be brought under the head of Central deputation.

There are 229 IPS officers in Tamil Nadu, including those on Central deputation and inter-state cadre deputation, but the list submitted by the State in the proposal for promotions mentioned that there were 230 officers. The Home Minister has sought a response to the “observations” in order to process the proposal.

“It is true that many officers are serving in ex-cadre posts for more than two years without the approval of the Centre. But this is not unique in Tamil Nadu...many States have the practice of posting IPS officers to ex-cadre posts that were created based on court orders or observations, Government orders etc,” the officer said, adding that a reply would be sent to the Home Ministry on Monday making it clear how Mr. Rajendran was very much in service as the DGP of the State.