Suspension of IAS officer Mohammed Mohsin who checked PM's chopper put on hold by CAT

Agencies
April 25, 2019

Bengaluru, Apr 25: The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) bench here Thursday stayed the Election Commission order suspending IAS officer Mohammed Mohsin for checking prime minister Narendra Modi's helicopter in Odisha.

The officer from Karnataka cadre, deployed in Odisha as a general observer, was suspended on April 17 for checking Modi's helicopter in Odisha's Sambalpur in "violation" of norms for dealing with SPG protectees and sent back to the state.

The CAT maintained that during an election process while reasonable assurances of protection and security must be made available to SPG protectees, it cannot be said: "they are eligible for anything and everything."

The bench also ordered an issue of notice to the EC and "four others" and posted the matter for further hearing on June 6.

Mohsin had tried to check some luggage in the convoy of the Prime Minister during his campaign visit and the EC had said he had acted in violation of its existing instructions.

In its order, CAT member (Judicial) Dr K B Suresh noted there was a circular regarding the SPG protectees that they are exempted from certain examinations on certain grounds.

"We will not go into the SPG protectees guidelines as per the bluebook right now, but the rule of law must prevail," he said.

The CAT also took note of the plea of the applicant's counsel who said there were news about heavy packages unloaded from prime minister's cavalcade being taken away in other vehicle.

Questions were raised but apparently no action followed, it said.

Noting that under the Constitutional process of federal structure, even though the EC has the supervisory power over the employees under its control at that moment of time, the CAT said once they are out of it, the commission's powers would cease.

The tribunal said: "Therefore the suspension order issued by the election commission cannot, on the face of it, lie. It is hereby stayed."

However, the CAT said it would look into this matter afresh once it received the response from the EC.

The tribunal said the applicant will be eligible to rejoin his former position under the Karnataka government "without any further ado about it".

Following the suspension, an EC source had said: "It has been laid down that SPG protectees are exempted from checking. He (the officer) should have known the instruction being an observer. The reason for the suspension is a dereliction of duty."

Comments

IAS Kumar
 - 
Saturday, 27 Apr 2019

modi is the biggest lier..we cant trust the lier

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News Network
December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

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