In a huge victory, the Central Administrative Tribunal on Thursday stayed the suspension of Mohammed Mohsin, a 1996 batch IAS officer, who the Election Commission had suspended for checking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s helicopter during an election rally in Sambhalpur in Odisha earlier this month.
The case, according to news agency ANI, will be heard now on 3 June. The Election Commission had later directed Mohsin to immediately leave Odisha and report to Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka in Bengaluru.
The CAT in order order, according to NDTV said that ‘it cannot be said that SPG Protectees are eligible for anything and everything’ adding that ‘election officials have checked private vehicles of (Karnataka) Chief Minister Shri (HD) Kumaraswamy more than once and no action followed… the Chief Minister of Odisha’s vehicles were also checked.’
“Applicant will be eligible to rejoin his former position under the government of Karnakata without any further ado about it,” the tribunal’s order said.
The CAT also referred to the controversy over transportation of a black trunk using Modi’s helicopter in Karnataka. It said that questions were raised about it but ‘apparently no action followed.’
The Congress had suspected the black trunk to be carrying black money to be used in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
The Election Commission had come under considerable criticism for making up a non-existent provision to save Modi from embarrassment. The topic had gained momentum also because the Congress had accused Modi of using his helicopter for transporting black money. The party had approached the Election Commission demanding a probe into a large trunk that was being shifted from Modi’s helicopter to a nearby parked Innova car in Karnataka.