New Delhi, Nov 18 (IANS) The Supreme Court Tuesday temporarily endorsed Uttar Pradesh Governor T.V. Rajeshwar's July 9 order suspending the state's Chief Information Commissioner Justice (Retd) M.A. Khan.
A bench of Justice B.N. Agrawal and Justice G.S. Singhvi halted the Allahabad High Court order, which had revoked the governor's order.
The bench's ruling came on a lawsuit by the state government, contending that the high court had no authority to interfere with the governor's order as the apex court itself was seized of a case on the governor's powers to suspend or oust the services of the state's chief information commissioner.
Admitting the state government's lawsuit, the bench also transferred to itself Justice Khan's petition challenging the order suspending him.
The bench also expressed its displeasure against Justice Khan for ignoring the proprieties and approaching the high court despite the fact that the governor's reference on the crucial issue of his power to suspend the transparency panel's chief was pending with the apex court.
Justice Khan invited the ire of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati for making some "undignified and derogatory remarks, in full public view, against the chief minister, the cabinet secretary, the chief secretary and the chairperson of the Uttar Pradesh state advisory council' during the hearing of a matter relating to the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA).
Justice Khan was charged with rendering other commissioners of the CIC non-functional by denying them work and making 40 irregular appointments of the group II and group IV staff.
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