Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Feb 21: The Karnataka high court on February 20 set aside the Central government’s order debarring retired high court judge Justice Padmaraj Nemachandra Desai from government appointments for three years.
A bench led by Justice R Devdas delivered the ruling, quashing the Union government’s directive. The court had earlier passed an interim order staying the debarment.
Justice Desai had challenged the order, arguing that he had been unfairly barred from government appointments. He had been appointed by the state government as the sole member of a Commission of Inquiry to probe alleged irregularities in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), in which Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was named as accused number one. During this period, he was also appointed as a judicial member of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT).
In his petition, Justice Desai stated that he had sought a postponement of his joining date for the CAT post, as he was already engaged in the inquiry assigned by the Karnataka government. However, instead of considering his request, the Union government issued an order on November 7, 2024, barring him from future government appointments.
He contended that the Union government neither issued him a notice nor sought his response before passing the debarment order, which was issued by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions. Justice Desai questioned the legality of the decision.
Meanwhile, social activist Snehamayi Krishna, who had raised concerns over the MUDA’s allotment of 14 sites to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi BM in exchange for acquired land, had previously demanded Justice Desai’s removal from the inquiry panel. In a letter to the Chief Secretary, he argued that Justice Desai’s appointment violated the debarment order and called for his immediate removal.
Krishna further urged that all documents handled by Justice Desai be transferred to the government and stated his intent to escalate the matter to the Union government.