Punjab: HC stays CAT order quashing Punjab DGP's appointment

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday stayed a Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) order quashing the appointment of Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta.

With this development, Gupta will now continue as Punjab DGP.

"The honourable court has stayed the CAT order. The matter will now come up for hearing on February 26," Punjab Advocate General Atul Nanda told news agency ANI.The Chandigarh bench of the CAT had on Friday quashed the appointment of Dinkar Gupta.

A 1985-batch officer Mohammad Mustafa and 1986-batch officer Siddharth Chattopadhyaya had challenged the appointment of Dinkar Gupta as DGP in the tribunal after they were ignored by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) panel for the appointment despite fulfilling criteria.

Gupta, a 1987-batch officer, was appointed DGP in the year 2018 after his name was empanelled by the UPSC for the post.