SC dismisses plea against Asthana's appointment as DG BCAS

New Delhi, Jan 31 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a PIL challenging the appointment of IPS officer Rakesh Asthana as Director General, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (DG BCAS), as it was contrary to the law and the Central government service rules.Besides challenging the appointment of Asthana, a former Special Director, CBI who had locked horns with then CBI Director Alok Verma, PIL petitioner advocate Manohar Lal Sharma had sought placing Asthma under suspension till investigation against him on the allegation of corruption was over.The PIL petitioner advocate had also sought the quashing of the proceedings of January 10, 2019 meeting of the High Powered Selection Committee by which Verma was removed as head of the investigating agency.Dismissing the PIL, the bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Deepak Guta and Justice Sanjiv Khanna today said, "Multiple causes of action have been combined, one having no connection with the other."The court further said, "While some of the reliefs sought may lie, if at all, within the jurisdiction of the Service Tribunal, the other reliefs sought are not appropriate for being dealt with in the manner in which they have been projected."The court said, "We, therefore, decline to entertain this petition filed under Article 32 of the Constitution. The same is accordingly dismissed."
--IANS pk/prs