EC lifts suspension of officer who checked PM's chopper

The Election Commission on Thursday ordered revocation of suspension of an IAS officer who had checked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s chopper in Odisha last week.

The commission’s decision came hours after the Bangalore Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) stayed the suspension order of senior IAS officer Mohammed Mohsin.

Mohsin was suspended by the Election Commission after he inspected the prime minister’s helicopter while serving as a general observer in Sambalpur parliamentary constituency in Odisha.

The CAT also issued a notice to the poll panel seeking its response over Mohsin’s suspension within four weeks and posted the case for hearing on June 3.

While revoking Mohsin’s suspension, the Election Commission directed him to report back to the Karnataka government with specific instructions of debarring him from election duty until further orders. However, the commission recommended to the Karnataka government to initiate disciplinary action against Mohsin for “dereliction of duty”.

The Election Commission had suspended the 1996-batch IAS officer on April 16, stating that he violated the commission’s instructions regarding the inspection of SPG protectees.
“The applicant (Mohsin) claims that he had advised them to videograph the process only with the advice of SPG officials. Later on, the SPG seems to have complained to the Election Commission that SPG protectees must be exempt from all such intrusions into their private life,” the order noted.

“...During an election process, while reasonable assurances of protection and security must be made available to SPG protectees, it cannot be said that they are eligible for anything and everything,” the order stated. It also took note of news reports about “heavy packages” unloaded from Modi’s cavalcade and taken away in another vehicle in Karnataka.

“...We will look into this matter afresh after receiving the response from the Election Commission... The applicant will be able to rejoin his former position under the Government of Karnataka without any further ado,” the order stated.