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.”
In a significant judgement, the Bombay High Court on Friday lifted the ban imposed on women from entering the sanctum sanctorum of Haji Ali dargah. The ban was imposed somewhere between March and June 2012 by the Haji Ali Dargah Trust.
Comments
Please be a muslim and stop going to dargahs, it is prohibited in Islam, Dargahs nothing but a grave, don't expect any help from deceased, seek help from Allah only, real muslims will never go to Dargahs.
Dear Non Muslim Brothers.
I was going through your comments.One thing i would like to clarify with you is that do not judge Islam by seeing other's rather try to learn later you can judge your own.Islam never entertain Darga or Darga Pooja it is the people who added in Islam for their benefits where as Allah almighty do not need any Mediator.Learn Islam before its too late.
Question to the trustee
Who is watching breast of female visitors?
Dargah is not meant for those who believe in \Tawheed\"."
Still it is better than doing Shirq.!
Stop doing shirq & Nobody will show you anything.
Pray to Almighty Allah Only.
First of all true religious lady will not visit any dargah ( major shirk) which is haram in Islam.
Secondly how Muslim lady mingle with gents in any public or private place which is also haraam in Islam.
Thirdly looking at ghair mahrum is also haraam in Islam.
So all are eagerly awaiting to do haraam things in life!!! Shabbash...
@ Monu.. have you been to Haji Ali Darga.. go and see how many non-muslims come there and prostrate.. or else the Dargah should pass a rule for all.. to cover oneself with shawl or something to avoid such incidents
Haraam it is Shirkh for Muslims to pray in Dargah or visit it.
Mr. L.K. Monu
They are referring to non-muslims women entering dargah.,
Dear Reader.
In Islam women (compulsorily) should wear full covering cloth including all the parts of the body, leg and hand and except only face and 2 palm.
So where is the question of showing breast.
Note: Praying is normally include Rokooh and Sujood i.e. bend the body and Prostration and which is only for Almighty Allah not to Shrine of Bukhari who is buried there.
Now where is the question of Breast show up.
Add new comment