File photo of IPS officer, Ms Sathiya Priya
A woman IPS officer in Tamil Nadu is without a posting despite the Central Administrative Tribunal quashing her suspension; the tribunal had directed the state government to give her proper posting on May 29.
Officer, Sathiya Priya, remains suspended over the last 15 months. She is also the first woman police officer from the state to serve a United Nations (UN) Peace Keeping Mission. She served in the trouble torn Sudan between 2013 and 2014.
The office of the state police chief says "The government is yet to take a call on this". The State Home Secretary couldn't be reached.
Ms Priya was suspended in 2014, soon after she returned from her UN assignment. State government alleged that she defied their recall order which was issued just before her departure for the mission.
Trouble began soon after the woman Officer was chosen for the UN assignment in 2010, for which she had obtained the state government's approval. Just before departure, the state police wanted her to resume duties in her home state, but the union home ministry didn't let her return. She went ahead to Sudan for the UN peace keeping mission.
There was some confusion as well. The selection for UN assignment is valid just for eighteen months. Due to some delay in her deployment, Ms Priya also applied for the subsequent UN selection for 2012, for which the permission was pending. Nevertheless the state police Chief relieved her on the basis of the earlier approval granted on which her selection was actually based.
When she challenged her suspension by the state government, the home ministry ordered Tamil Nadu to revoke the order and give her a posting last October, but no action was taken.
CAT quashed the suspension last month, the order says, "The very premise for instituting the disciplinary enquiry was erroneous".
Ms Priya has been awarded a UN medal for her contribution. Sources close to her say, "She is being hounded instead of being honoured. At least now the state government should correct its stand and end this without turning it into an ego battle".