CAT Member Recuses From Sanjiv Chaturvedi's APAR Plea, 17th Such Recusal in 13 Years

A member of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) in Delhi recused himself on September 21 from hearing a petition filed by Indian Forest Service officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi relating to his Annual Performance Appraisal Report (APAR).

Member (Judicial) Rajveer Singh Verma withdrew from the matter after hearing submissions for some time. The order directed the Registry to place the case before an appropriate Bench and to notify the parties accordingly. It does not record any reason for the recusal.

The development marks the 17th instance in 13 years of a judge or judicial officer stepping aside from a case involving the Uttarakhand-cadre officer. Those who have previously recused themselves include two Supreme Court judges, four Uttarakhand High Court judges, nine CAT members and two district judiciary judges.

According to the September 21 order, Chaturvedi appeared in person and referred to the All India Services (Performance Appraisal Report) Rules, 2007, including provisions concerning the APAR Accepting Authority, Reporting Authority and Reviewing Authority. He also cited a November 29, 2021, communication from the Additional Chief Secretary, Uttarakhand, prescribing authorities for the disposal of APARs of IFS officers.

The matter remained subject to a Registry objection, one of which was that the representation filed by Chaturvedi was premature. The order also noted that Chaturvedi, appearing in person, continued to make submissions not connected with the issue in the case despite repeated directions to confine himself to the matter before the Bench.

The recusals in Chaturvedi's cases stretch back more than a decade. In November 2013, then Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjan Gogoi stepped aside from a petition seeking a CBI probe into allegations of corruption and harassment raised by Chaturvedi. In August 2016, then Supreme Court judge Justice U U Lalit also recused himself from that case.

In February 2024, Justice Manoj Tiwari recused himself from a matter in which Chaturvedi sought documents from the Appointment Committee of the Cabinet relating to his central deputation. More recently, in September-October 2025, Uttarakhand High Court judges Justice Alok Verma and Justice Ravindra Maithani withdrew from hearing a contempt petition filed by Chaturvedi against CAT members and its Registry, alleging wilful disobedience of a High Court stay order.

The orders in these individual matters do not establish a common reason for the recusals, and the circumstances have varied from case to case. Chaturvedi, a 2002-batch officer, has been involved in repeated litigation over service matters, including postings, disciplinary proceedings, deputation and performance appraisal reports. His latest petition will now be heard by another CAT Bench.