Telangana High Court grants relief to IPS officer on cadre dispute

Directs that Abhishek Mohanty can continue in Telangana service until the Central Administrative Tribunal delivers its final verdict in the case

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has granted relief to IPS officer Abhishek Mohanty, who is embroiled in an All India Service cadre dispute between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The court directed that Mohanty can continue in the Telangana service until the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) delivers its final verdict in his case.

Mohanty had challenged the Central government’s orders to join the Andhra Pradesh cadre in the CAT. As the CAT did not issue interim orders allowing him to remain in Telangana, he filed a petition in the High Court. The case centres around the Telangana government’s GO 583, issued in 2022, which brought Mohanty into the Telangana cadre.

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During a previous hearing, the High Court had questioned the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) regarding their awareness of this GO. Additional Solicitor General Narasimha Sharma, representing the Central government, informed the court that the Telangana government’s GO had not reached the DoPT.

However, Mohanty’s lawyer argued that the GO bringing him into the Telangana service was still in effect. He also stated that Mohanty, being a resident of Hyderabad, should be allocated to Telangana, citing a previous CAT ruling.

After hearing the arguments, the High Court bench ruled that Mohanty could continue in the Telangana service until the CAT delivered its final verdict in his case. The High Court also requested the CAT to expedite the proceedings and deliver a verdict on the petition as soon as possible.