Jaffer Sait suspension revoked, reinstated

Chennai

The CAT bench comprising Judicial Member Justice A Arumugaswamy and Administrative Member R Ramanujam revoked the suspension and directed his reinstatement. The bench also held that Jaffar Sait was not provided with copies of the documents that were relied upon for the department inquiry and that the principle of natural justice had not been followed.

Sait, was suspended in August 2011 after the Directorate of Vigilance and Corruption registered a case against him on a complaint from Tamil Nadu Housing Board that he allegedly entered into a criminal conspiracy with others and got land allotted by the board in Thiruvanmiyur suppressing certain details.

The former State intelligence chief had alleged that the government was “selectively discriminating” against him by extending his suspension. He contended that though there was “no public interest served” in extending his suspension, the state government had mechanically extended his suspension for 180 days from Sept. 21, 2015.

It may be noted that Sait, an Additional Director-General of Police cadre officer, wielded enormous influence during the DMK regime between 2006 and 2011.

However, when the AIADMK came to power, he was shunted to an obscure post at Mandapam and subsequently placed under suspension more than four years ago. Even the Centre refused to ratify the suspension and its extension, but the Tamil Nadu government continued with the punishment.