Bombay High Court gives temporary relief to 63 SC/ST Income Tax officials

Source: dnaindia.com

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday temporarily stayed the demotion of 63 income tax officials belonging to the scheduled caste and scheduled tribe communities whose promotion in 2012-2013 had been reversed by an order of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) in 2017.

The order of the CAT had come about as general candidates had challenged the promotion of these officials from the post of income tax ‘inspectors’ to ‘officers’.

While the order of the CAT had come about in 2017, it had not been implemented until a contempt petition was filed by the general category officials when the order was not implemented by the IT department.

A circular of March 22 this year and a reversion order on the same day had reversed the promotion of these SC, ST officials. The petition by these 63 affected officers had challenged the circular and the reversion order as well.

The order of Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) had come about as general candidates challenged the promotion of SC/ST officials from the post of income tax ‘inspectors’ to ‘officers’

By this time, they had already served in the promoted posts for around five years. Granting stay on the demotions, a bench of justices Ranjit More and Bharati Dangre directed the Income Tax department file a reply in four weeks time.

Advocate Suresh Mane appearing for the IT officials had argued before the court while seeking a stay on the demotions, that the CAT order is not as per the latest law.