Madurai: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu Human Resources Management Department to submit details of complaints filed by government employees against their superiors or other officials under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act over the past five years.
Justice B. Pugalendhi issued the direction while hearing a petition filed by M. Jothivel of Tirunelveli, who challenged his transfer from the post of Personal Assistant to the Chief Educational Officer (CEO), Tirunelveli, to headmaster of a government higher secondary school.
The court directed the department’s secretary to file a report specifying the number of such complaints registered during the period and posted the matter for further hearing on October 26.
According to the petitioner, the Joint Director of School Education was the competent authority to issue the transfer order. The court was also informed that relations between Jothivel and the CEO had become strained.
The High Court granted an interim stay on the transfer order and permitted Jothivel to join duty. However, it directed him not to perform any work as the CEO’s Personal Assistant until October 26.
The direction to the Human Resources Management Department came after the CEO expressed apprehension that a case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act could be filed against the officer at the petitioner’s instance.
In view of the apprehension, the court impleaded the department’s secretary as a party to the proceedings and sought the report.
The matter is scheduled to be taken up again on October 26.
