Dollar Seshadri's extension of term valid rules SC

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed the Andhra Pradesh High Court’s interim order invalidating P Seshadri’s extension of service as the Officer on Special Duty of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams and said that the Courts should not encourage petitions of employees on their service.

Tuesday’s judgment paves the way for Mr Seshadri alias `Dollar Seshadri’ to continue as the TTD’s Officer on Special Duty (OSD) up to June 2011.

The Supreme Court was disposing off a petition filed by Mr Seshadri against the AP High Court’s interim order which had termed his extension of term as the TTD’s OSD as invalid.

The AP High Court had, in its interim order on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Congress leader M Gopal Reddy challenging the extension and pointing to allegations that Mr Seshadri was involved in the disappearance of gold Dollars from the temple treasury, had said that the extension was invalid.

 Mr Seshadri had then moved the Supreme Court, saying that he was exonerated by a government-appointed Panel to probe allegations against his involvement in the disappearance of 300 gold Dollars from the temple treasury. The government appointed probe panel had given Mr Seshadri a clean chit in the case and had raised no objections to his term being extended.

Mr Seshadri appealed to the Apex Court that his absence may adversely affect the regular activities of the Tirumala temple and may also hurt the religious sentiments of the devotees. He had said the termination of his services as OSD would also deprive him of his livelihood.

Acting on Mr Seshadri’s plea, the Apex Court justified the government’s decision of extending his service and found fault in the decision of Andhra Pradesh High Court holding his extension of the services as invalid.

The Apex Court opined that Courts should not interfere in the employees’ service and rules and regulations. The Court made it clear that Courts should not encourage petitions of employees on their service matters and quashed the dismissing orders of High Court against Mr Seshadri.