IAS officer to apologise to Kerala HC

IAS officer to apologise to Kerala HC Counsel for senior IAS officer Nivedita P Haran, serving as the Kerala Revenue Principal Secretary, today gave an undertaking in the High Court that the official will apologise to the court for her action in taking over the Golf Club in Thiruvananthapuram. Following the counsel's statement to this effect, Justice S Sirijagan dispensed with Ms Haran's personal appearance in the court on June 9. Justice Sirijagan was considering a review petition filed by Ms Haran yesterday, seeking expunction of certain remarks against her in the June 2 order of the court, which also directed her personal appearance. While considering Ms Haran's petition, the judge orally observed that it did not contain any statement of regret for what had happened and added that the officer should have expressed regret. Senior counsel P Raveendran, appearing for Ms Haran, undertook that the IAS officer would file an affidavit, expressing regret. The court will consider the matter again on June 10. In his June 2 order, Justice Sirijagan had observed that the action of the principal revenue secretary in disregarding the advice of the Advocate General not to take over the Thiruvananthapuram Golf Club amounted to 'negation of the Constitution.' He also observed that the action was unbecoming of the secretary. In her review petition, Ms Haran had submitted that she had not received any written direction from the advocate general or the government pleader concerned not to take over the golf club. Without a written instruction, she was bound to take action in accordance with the cabinet decision, Ms Haran contended. She also submitted that the oral direction of the government pleader was conveyed to the state Revenue Minister, who told her that in the absence of written instructions, the club takeover should not be stopped. UNI

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