VIJAYAWADA: The high court on Tuesday stayed the orders issued by the state government transferring Patamata sub-registrar within five days of his posting.
The court also stayed the single judge order which upheld the transfer, while observing that a pending inquiry against the petitioner could not be a ground for transfer and asked why the state was harassing him.
A Raghava Rao, working as superintendent in the office of the deputy inspector general (stamps and registrations), was promoted and transferred as sub-registrar of Patamata in Vijayawada on June 17. However, five days later (June 22) he was again transferred as sub-registrar of Tanuku.
Challenging the same, Raghava Rao moved the high court. A single judge bench dismissed the petition, observing that there was no mala fide intention behind the transfer. Challenging the single judge order, Raghava Rao preferred an appeal.
Arguing on behalf of the petitioner, senior counsel Y V Ravi Prasad told the high court that the petitioner was transferred within five days of his posting and within two days of him taking charge. He alleged that political reasons were behind the transfer. Though the state government told the single judge that it decided to appoint a district registrar rank officer at Patamata, even today a senior assistant is acting as in-charge, the court was told.
Arguing on behalf of the government, A Narayana said the petitioner has a pending case registered by the ACB and a departmental inquiry is on against him.
The HC bench headed by Chief Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice D V S S Somayajulu, however, said the pending case cannot be a ground for the transfer within two days of taking charge. Staying the transfer orders and the single judge order, the court directed the state to file a counter affidavit with all details pertaining to the petitioner’s transfer.
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