Delhi HC seeks Centre's stand on challenge to appointment of Sujan R Chinoy as Director General of MP-IDSA

The Delhi High Court Thursday sought the Centre's response on a plea challenging the appointment of Sujan R Chinoy as Director General of Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis (MP-IDSA).

A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh issued notice to the Director, Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, Ministry of Personnel Public Grievances and Pensions as well as MP-IDSA and the incumbent Director General on the public interest litigation (PIL) by lawyer Subhash Chandran KR.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma, appearing for the Centre, opposed the petition and said the challenge is being mounted two years and eight months after the appointment.

"Let the reply come. If it is a hopeless, useless matter, it will go away with costs," Chief Justice Patel said.

The petitioner has alleged that the institute did not follow the norms required for a "public appointment", which is "an act of lawlessness cutting at the very root of the strict mandate of Articles 14 and 16 of the constitution".

"The guiding principles with respect to the appointment of Chief Executives in autonomous organizations, clearly stipulates that it has to be carried out by a Search-cum-Selection Committee, should mandatorily include at least one outside expert of eminence from the field and it is also mandated that the committee should also include the Chief Executive of the autonomous institution, unless the selection is for the Chief Executive himself and none of these criteria has been met in the appointment of Respondent No.2," the petition reads.

"The respondent no 2 was never known to be in any entity in the field of Defence studies and analysis throughout his career in foreign services," it is further alleged.

It is argued that the appointment of the incumbent Director General is patently illegal, mala fide, arbitrary and is thus liable to be set aside.

The matter would be heard next on November 29.