A woman IFS officer has been granted permission by the High Court to continue on inter-cadre deputation in Kerala for her son’s treatment, pending the outcome of her petition before the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT).
The court, led by Justice Anil K Narendran and Justice P G Ajith Kumar, found the central government’s decision to reject her request for an extension of deputation to be, prima facie, incorrect. They emphasized that the personal hardships she raised should have been considered.
Originally from the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territories (AGMUT) cadre, the officer was deputed to Kerala in August 2020 for three years to support her son’s treatment for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Seeing improvements in her son’s condition, she sought a two-year extension, but the central government rejected her plea without explanation in July 2022.
After the CAT’s interim order allowed her to stay in Kerala, the Union government challenged it, leading to the officer seeking relief from the High Court. The court has now reinstated the interim order, allowing her to remain in Kerala until CAT reaches a final decision.
