Retired Haryana IFS Officer Withdraws Court Plea Against Ministry Report on Whistleblower Harassment
In a significant development in the long-standing case involving whistleblower Indian Forest Service officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi, retired IFS officer M L Rajavanshi of the Haryana cadre has withdrawn his petition from the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The plea sought directions to quash the inquiry report prepared by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests that indicted several political leaders, bureaucrats, and forest officials for allegedly harassing Chaturvedi, a Magsaysay awardee.
Court Proceedings and Withdrawal Details
Justice Sandeep Moudgil recorded in his orders that after arguing for some time, counsel for the petitioner prayed for withdrawal of the case. The court allowed Rajavanshi to withdraw his petition while granting him liberty to approach the Central Administrative Tribunal if required in the future. The petition, originally filed in 2017, sought quashing of the inquiry report dated December 8, 2010, and all consequential proceedings.
Rajavanshi contended that the ministry's actions violated the provisions of the All-India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules 1969, arguing that the ministry had no jurisdiction under these rules to conduct such an inquiry. The petition also sought directions for quashing a follow-up letter dated March 1, 2012, which was written in pursuance of the controversial inquiry report.
Background of the Controversial MOEF Report
The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests' inquiry report, prepared by a two-member panel after receiving representations from Chaturvedi, made serious allegations against multiple parties. The report indicted the then chief minister's office for what it described as "removing Chaturvedi from the scene" upon his detection of forest scams. Various state officials and politicians were also named in connection with multi-crore scams exposed by the whistleblower officer.
According to the ministry's findings, the state government was criticized for fabricating documents and harassing Chaturvedi. The Central Bureau of Investigation had found the case worthy of an independent probe but expressed inability to register a formal case without notification from the Haryana government.
Rajavanshi's Involvement and Current Status
In the ministry's inquiry report, Rajavanshi was specifically named in plantation-related irregularities in Hissar and Jhajjar, along with three other senior IFS officers. Despite these allegations, the Haryana state government did not take any punitive or administrative action against the 1997 batch IFS officer, who has since retired from service.
This withdrawal marks the conclusion of all matters pertaining to Sanjiv Chaturvedi in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, though the Supreme Court continues to examine a separate petition regarding the validity of the ministry's inquiry report on the same issue.
Broader Implications and Case Resolution
The Chaturvedi case has seen several significant developments over the years. Following the controversy, the central government allowed Chaturvedi's request to shift his cadre from Haryana to Uttarakhand. In a related matter, the President of India ordered the chargesheet issued by the Hooda government against Chaturvedi to be dropped entirely.
The withdrawal of Rajavanshi's petition represents another chapter closing in this complex legal saga that has highlighted challenges faced by whistleblowers within government systems and raised important questions about jurisdictional authority in disciplinary proceedings against civil servants.
