Bengaluru, Mar 4: The Karnataka High Court has issued a notice to the state government in connection with the denial of retirement benefits to a retired deputy commissioner of commercial taxes who had fought against the illegal iron ore lobby.
Justice G Narendra also directed the state to respond to the notice before March 9, stating the reasons for withholding the officer’s retirement benefits.
Advocate Ramananda, appearing for the retired officer Josephat Andrews, explained that the single-judge bench also warned the government of stringent action.
Petitioner Josephat Andrews said his retirement benefits amounting to Rs 25.88 lakh were being withheld since 2014.
In 2009, Andrews detected a huge scam involving Vijaya Leasing, a company associated with former minister Gali Janardhan Reddy. Immediately he wrote to his higher officials explaining to them how the department was owed Rs 1,400 crore in taxes by the company. Immediately after that, Andrews was transferred to Bengaluru.
The media exposed the scam in 2012. Thereafter, to harass the officer, Andrews was served notice for allegedly not conducting an inspection of M/s Vijaya Leasing, which was controlled by the family of then tourism minister Gali Janardhana Reddy, on July 11, 2012. He was discharged by a full departmental enquiry.
The petitioner was issued a second show cause notice on Jan 29, 2014 on the same charges. Before his retirement, he was docked two increments, denied promotional benefits and his pension was reduced without following due process.
He was served yet another notice with charges that he did not inspect goods vehicles, and an order was passed on April 30, 2019 reducing his pension by 5 per cent, an unprecedented punitive action.
This order was quashed by the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal (KAT), which also ordered payment of retirement benefits to Andrews within five months. However, the benefits were not released to him.
“Rule 214 of the Karnataka Civil Services Rules (KCSR) make it clear that no enquiry can be held four years after an officer’s retirement. Belying all statutory rules and precedents of the Supreme Court, Josephat Andrews’ retirement benefits were withheld for five years. Andrews therefore approached the High Court,” advocate Ramananda explained.
Josephat Andrews recalled to Deccan Chronicle that although mining activity was in full swing in 2008, the commercial tax department maintained that it had nothing to do with mining. “I travelled to Gujarat, Maharashtra and Bellary to investigate. I found tax evasion of thousands of crores. When I visited M/s the Vijaya Leasing facility – it was operating from an old oil mill premises–within 20 minutes I got calls from Ali, a person claiming to be the personal assistant of Gali Janardhan Reddy. He told me to get out of the premises as it belonged to his boss. Then calls came from minister Sreeramulu and MLA Nagendra.
Within minutes 200-300 rowdies gathered around the building and my superior asked me to come back. Instead of filing a police complaint and forming a special team to deal with the situation, the department transferred me to Bengaluru,” he explained.
Talking about the High Court directive, Josephat Andrews said, “I have suffered a lot. Instead of getting a reward for increasing revenues by Rs 2,000 crore, I was punished.”
He has been given time till tomorrow morning to file his reply as to why no action should be taken against him.
Comments
Its all about vote bank politics. In fact these pakhandi babas are rapists and believe in homosexuality Those who justify this dhongi baba are indeed knew or pretend to be blind on the fact that many non muslims producing illegal children from extra marital affairs.
Please don't call him such people as Maharaj,
Maharaj is a sacred word. He talks like a drunken man.
He does not deserve for it.
If daring why does he refer indirect. He cant say as Muslims.
The man himself did not marry and expecting his followers to make 40 children.
We have in India many Hindu friends like brothers and sisters.
These people create intolerance amongst peace lovers.
very unfortunate these coward senseless are elected as MPs.
It shows what is the mind-level of those who elected Him.
This is the strategy of BJP to field such a hate mongers to divide the country. They deserve stringent punishment for spoiling public harmony.
Why propaganda , if hindus fear , they are become minority , let these swamies to marry at least one girl and produce children as many as possible , if they capable.... as more official survey non muslims are have more than one wife than muslims..... let the govt to publish 2011 religious wise survey report...!
These swamis are drunkards....they say whatever they feel like...disgusting....must be eliminated from this earth....it will bring peace and tranquility to everyone....
Muslims have the the power and guts to do that in reality. Not like Sakshi Maharaj who afraid to get marry in his life.
What will be the end result if he is found guilty .... He should be kicked out/ Booted out from the Loksabaha...
Let him show a single person with 4 wives and 40 children.... No doubt he is expert in Ramayana and Mahabharatha stories ....
I appreciate EC action. EC should recommend removal of this hate monger and should not allow for further election. I wil appreciate if EC removes voting right of this hate monger. I agree with statement of this hate monger that money from cow slaughter is used for terrorist act. It is well known that beef exporters are bjp sympathizers and huge amount of money is given by these beef exporters to sangh parivar which is being used in terrorist acts. I think this hate monger is also getting a share.
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