- (1.) Leave granted. The appellant filed O.A. No.1662 of 2018 before the Central Administrative Tribunal, Chennai Bench challenging the denial of permission to him for a private foreign visit from 23.12.2018 to 19.01.2019. The appellant is an IPS Officer and is working as Inspector General of Police/Principal, Central Training College, Central Reserve Police Force, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. The appellant averred in the O.A. that he is not involved in any criminal case. He further stated the departmental enquiries are pending against him, the initiation of which was challenged by him in the Tribunal and those cases are pending. He referred to the permission granted to him by this Court earlier on 8th May, 2017 to travel abroad pursuant to which he went abroad and came back as per schedule. The Tribunal refused to grant the interim relief as prayed for which order was affirmed by the High Court.
(2.) The High Court was of the opinion that there was nothing wrong in the denial of permission due to lack of vigilance clearance. The appellant is before us assailing the order of the Tribunal and the High Court in not granting appropriate relief to him. When the matter was listed for admission, we were of the opinion that the appellant has a fundamental right to travel and that right cannot be infringed on the ground that vigilance clearance has not been given. We requested Mr. Vikramjit Banerjee, learned Additional Solicitor General to get instructions from the Government of India as to whether the appellant was involved in any criminal case and as to whether there is any serious objection from the Government of India to refuse permission to the appellant to travel abroad. The matter was adjourned on a few occasions for obtaining instructions from the Government of India.
(3.) We have heard Ms. Indira Jai Singh learned Senior Counsel appearing on behalf of the appellant and learned Additional Solicitor General.;