Setback for govt in Senkumar case, SC seeks Chief Secy's reply

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Friday sought response of the Kerala Chief Secretary on a contempt plea by senior IPS officer T P Senkumar, who has alleged delay in his reinstatement as the state police chief despite the apex court's order.

The court also imposed a cost of Rs 25,000 on Kerala government, which had filed a separate application seeking certain clarifications on its April 24 judgement on Senkumar.

A bench of Justices M B Lokur and Deepak Gupta issued notice to Chief Secretary Nalini Netto on the contempt plea and fixed the matter for hearing on May 9.

Senior advocate Dushyant Dave, appearing for Senkumar, told the bench that the state government has "mocked" at the judgement passed by the apex court, which had on April 24 directed reinstatement of the senior IPS officer as the state police chief.

The counsel representing Kerala told the bench that the process to reinstate was going on and the state government has also filed a review petition in the apex court.

"That is not an argument. We will see the review petition when it will come up for hearing before us," the bench told Kerala's counsel.

The state's counsel requested the bench not to impose cost and said that he would withdraw the application.

"We are dismissing it with costs. We are permitting them to withdraw it (application) with a cost of Rs 25,000," the bench said.

The bench said that it had not gone into the allegations of malafide raised by Senkumar earlier before it but the state was "somehow confirming" the same by filing such application.

The apex court had on April 24 ordered the reinstatement of Senkumar, saying he was transferred by the ruling LDF government "unfairly" and "arbitrarily".

Senkumar had on April 29 moved the apex court seeking contempt action against the state government and its chief secretary alleging "wilful, deliberate disobedience" of its order reinstating him.