Karnataka High Court cancels forest official's transfer, questions MLA's role
Karnataka High Court
Mangaluru: The High Court of Karnataka has reinstated a woman Forest Mobile Squad official Sandhya Sachin in Udupi. She was transferred to Bidar as a result of alleged political highhandedness.
The High Court in the order on Saturday directed the Karnataka State Administrative Tribunal to cancel the transfer order of Sandhya Sachin as it was done with political interference. This has become a major embarrassment to MLA of Belthangady Harish Poonja who allegedly got her transferred to Forest Training Centre at Bidar using his political connection. The transfer would have taken effect from 2 February 2022 had she not gone in for an appeal against the transfer.
In the appeal, she argued that the transfer was a violation of articles 14 and 16 of the constitution of India. It was also a violation of the Karnataka Civil Services (Control of Transfer of Officials and Postings) Act 2016 and the rules and regulations framed under the Act and the government notification of 7 June 2013. The transfer was arbitrary, unjust and questionable, she maintained.
In the ruling, the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal had also said the transfer was not in order and unnecessary and reeked of political influence and weakened the laws that are in force.
According to reports, Poonja allegedly wrote to the Chief Minister and personally saw that the transfer order was issued. The court asked, "what was the connection of the MLA of Belthangady to the remotely situated Bidar?" "How does the interest of Bidar could be a bearing on the MLA of Belthangady?" the court asked.
According to the local reports, Sandhya Sachin booked some people for allegedly looting the forest wealth. She booked them under the Karnataka Forest Act sections 62 and 80 of 2013, but the politicos in the area brought pressure on MLA Harish Poonja to influence Sandhya Sachin to take back the charges. She, however, did not bow down to political pressure. She will now rejoin the Forest Mobile Squad in the grade of Range Forest Officer.