The Patna High Court has dismissed a petition by former IAS officer Shiv Shankar Verma, who wanted to include Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as a party in his case before the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Patna. Verma had challenged his dismissal from service, but the court ruled that his plea was unnecessary and frivolous.
A division bench of Justice P.B. Bajanthari and Justice Alok Kumar Sinha upheld CAT Patna’s decision to penalize Verma but reduced the imposed fine from ₹50,000 to ₹10,000.
Let it be noted that Shiv Shankar Verma, a 2011-batch IAS officer, was dismissed after a 2007 raid at his home uncovered golden bricks and wires, allegedly proving he had assets beyond his known income. He was prosecuted under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and found guilty of misconduct in a disciplinary inquiry.
Verma challenged his dismissal by filing a case with CAT, Patna. While the case was ongoing, he sought to involve CM Nitish Kumar in the matter, a request CAT rejected, also fining him ₹50,000. He then appealed to the Patna High Court, which upheld CAT’s decision but reduced the fine.
During the hearing, Advocate General P.K. Shahi strongly opposed Verma’s plea, calling it baseless and insisting that it be dismissed with costs.
