PRITAM SINGH Vs. STATE AND ORS

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Petitioner has filed this writ petition questioning Government Order no. 383-FST of 2008 dated 10.10.2008 in so far as it directs petitioner's transfer and posting as Incharge Deputy Director, Forest Protection Force, Kishtwar against an available vacancy, on the ground that the order had neither been issued in the interest of administration nor in public interest.

(2.) Pleading the impugned order to be malafide and in arbitrary exercise of authority by the respondents, it is urged by petitioner's counsel Mr. Salathia that, respondents' non-application of mind in issuing petitioner's transfer order was writ large as they had incorrectly shown him, in the impugned order, as Incharge ACF, Udhampur whereas he had been working as Incharge Project Officer, Ujh-I, Kathua.

(3.) Supplementing his submissions, learned counsel urged that the impugned order had not been implemented before coming into force of the Model Code of Conduct during the Assembly Elections but despite that the respondents had been pressurizing the petitioner to join his new place of posting, although they were not obliged to do so to respect the Code of Conduct.