Telangana HC Grants Interim Relief to IPS Officer Abhilasha Bisht, Stays Cadre Transfer

The Telangana High Court on Friday granted interim relief to senior IPS officer Abhilasha Bisht, allowing her to continue serving in Telangana while her challenge to cadre reallocation remains pending.

A division bench comprising Justice P. Sam Koshy and Justice Narsing Rao Nandikonda passed the order in a writ petition filed by Bisht. She has challenged a January 2025 decision of the Union government reallocating her to the Andhra Pradesh cadre, which was upheld by the Central Administrative Tribunal in January 2026.

Bisht argued that the cadre allocation process was flawed due to reliance on an allegedly “distorted” seniority list submitted by state authorities. She claimed this resulted in her being wrongly placed below certain 1994-batch officers who were otherwise junior to her, disturbing a seniority position that had remained unchanged for over two decades.

According to her, the Centre acted on inaccurate information despite seeking a certified seniority list and altered her position without prior notice or an opportunity to be heard. She contended that this violated principles of natural justice and was influenced by extraneous considerations.

Apart from challenging the tribunal’s January 9, 2026 order, Bisht also questioned subsequent proceedings issued by the Centre and communicated through the Telangana government. She has sought restoration of her seniority in the 1994 batch of transferee IPS officers and continuation in the Telangana cadre.

Taking note of her submissions, the High Court granted interim protection, permitting her to remain in Telangana until further orders. The matter has been posted for further hearing on July 1.

Telangana HC Reiterates: Vehicles Cannot Be Seized Solely in Drunk Driving Cases

The Telangana High Court has reiterated that police authorities cannot seize or detain vehicles solely because the driver was found under the influence of alcohol.

The clarification came from Justice E.V. Venugopal while hearing a writ petition filed by Jangati Vijay, who sought release of his SUV seized by Alwal traffic police on July 10, 2025. The vehicle had been taken into custody after the driver, Sai, was allegedly caught driving in a drunken condition.

Counsel Immaneni Rama Rao argued that the seizure was illegal and contrary to settled law as well as guidelines laid down earlier by the High Court and the Supreme Court. He contended that police have no authority to seize vehicles merely on the ground of drunken driving and sought immediate release of the vehicle.

The state, however, submitted that the driver had been involved in multiple drunk driving offences and that the petitioner had knowingly allowed him to use the vehicle. It was also pointed out that no relevant documents had been produced before authorities since the vehicle was seized.

After hearing both sides, the court relied on its 2021 judgment laying down guidelines for handling drunk driving cases. It emphasised that while an intoxicated person must not be allowed to drive, the vehicle itself cannot be seized on that ground alone.

The court clarified that if a sober and licensed person is available, the vehicle should be handed over to them. If no such person is present, police may keep the vehicle in safe custody temporarily, but must release it to the owner or an authorised person upon production of valid documents such as the registration certificate, identity proof, and driving licence.