TN suspends IPS officer after she joins CBI as Additional Director

New Delhi/Chennai: In an embarrassing turn of events for the Centre, the Tamil Nadu government suspended senior IPS officer Archana Ramasundaram who on Thursday took charge as CBI's first woman Additional Director . The central vigilance commission had recommended the name of West Bengal cadre IPS officer RK Pachnanda for the post but the Centre went ahead with Archana's appointment ignoring the CVC's recommendation.

She was suspended by the Tamil Nadu government for allegedly not following rules before joining the central probe agency. A Home (SC) Department order of the state government said in Chennai that "whereas disciplinary proceedings" against her were contemplated, Ramasundaram, a Tamil Nadu cadre officer, was being placed "under suspension with immediate effect."

"It is further ordered that during the period that this order shall remain in force, the Headquarters of (Mrs) Archana Ramasundaram, IPS, shall be Chennai," the terse order said.

56-year-old Ramasundaram's name was cleared by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Her name was recommended by CBI Director Ranjit Sinha to the Department of Personnel which oversees the functioning of the agency.

Ramasundaram is the first woman to be elevated to the rank of an Additional Director of CBI. She was also the agency's first woman Joint Director, handling cases pertaining to economic offences between 1999 and 2006, which includes Telgi stamp scam.

The appointment of Archana Ramasundram has always been surrounded by allegations of it being a blatant political appointment. There are allegations that the government is trying to plant its own officers within the CBI as election results draw near which is in clear violation of laid down procedures and in violation of the CVC Act. The CVC and the Union Home Secretary had recommended the name of West Bengal cadre IPS officer RK Pachnanda for the post but the Centre went ahead with Archana's appointment ignoring the CVC's recommendation.

According to the CVC Act, the Central government must act on recommendation of CVC while appointing CBI officers above the rank of SP. But overuling the CVC, Ramasundaram's name was directly forwarded to the DoPT, the CBI's nodal ministry, with the order reportedly being signed by the PM.

A PIL was filed in Allahabad High Court challenging her appointment as Additional Director. It was rejected by the court which said "the appointment of an individual in CBI cannot be a subject-matter of judicial review in our jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution of India in a public interest litigation at the instance of a third person."

Her appointment was then challenged in the Supreme Court by journalist Vineet Narain after which a bench headed by Chief Justice RM Lodha issued a notice to the Centre and Ramasundaram asking them to file their responses. The matter will come up for hearing on Friday and CBI is likely to request the court for impleading the probe agency.

Prior to taking over as Additional Director of CBI, Ramasundaram, a 1980 batch officer of the state cadre, was holding the post of Director General of Police/Chairperson, Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Recruitment Board.