Telangana HC to Revisit Appointment Dispute of BrahMos Director General

Hyderabad : The Telangana High Court has scheduled a hearing for June 15 to address petitions challenging a Central Administrative Tribunal order that suspended the Director General of BrahMos.

The legal dispute began when Dr. Sivasubramaniam Nambi Naidu, a distinguished scientist at DRDO, challenged the appointment of Dr. Jaiteerth Joshi as the DG of BrahMos. Naidu argued that the appointment bypassed seniority protocols, noting that he is seven years senior to Joshi and has held the rank of outstanding scientist since 2017.

In December, the CAT Hyderabad bench ruled in Naidu’s favor, suspending Joshi and directing the Union Defence Ministry to appoint an interim head. However, the High Court intervened in January, issuing an interim stay on the tribunal’s order.

During the most recent session before Justices P. Sam Koshy and Narsing Rao Nandikonda, the court acknowledged that Dr. Naidu has filed a counter-affidavit. Counsels for both the Union Government and Dr. Joshi requested additional time to complete their submissions, and the bench subsequently granted the request, adjourning the matter until mid-June. The final decision will determine whether seniority or other selection criteria will uphold Joshi’s position at the helm of the prestigious supersonic cruise missile program.