CAT member recuses from hearing Sanjiv Chaturvedi’s plea – 17th such instance for IFS officer in 13 years

On September 21, a member of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) in New Delhi recused himself from hearing a petition filed by Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi regarding his Annual Performance Appraisal Report (APAR). This is the 17th such recusal for an IFS officer in the past 13 years, involving 17 judges and judicial officers, including Supreme Court judges, Uttarakhand High Court judges, CAT members, and district judiciary judges.

Chaturvedi, a 2002-batch officer, had appeared in person and referred to relevant rules and a November 2021 communication regarding the authorities for handling APARs. The matter remained under a Registry objection, as Chaturvedi's submissions were deemed premature and unrelated to the case. Justice Rajveer Singh Verma, a CAT member, recused himself after hearing the matter for some time, and the Registry was directed to list the case before another appropriate CAT Bench.