Ulhasnagar: After securing significant legal relief in two separate cases, former Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation (UMC) Deputy Commissioner Yuvraj Bhadane has said that the judicial decisions have effectively cleared the path for his reinstatement into civic service.
Along with restoration to his post, Bhadane is seeking continuity of service, seniority, and the promotion that he maintains he would have earned had he not been dismissed from service following departmental proceedings arising from allegations that have since been decided in his favour by the courts.
The latest development comes after the Belapur Sessions Court acquitted Yuvraj Bhadane in the rape case filed against him, while the Bombay High Court granted him relief in the dispute concerning his birth records, directing that no charges be framed in the matter after finding no material to support allegations of manipulation. Together, the two court orders have strengthened Bhadane’s claim that the grounds on which disciplinary action was initiated against him no longer survive.
Addressing a press conference along with his advocate, Deepak Mishra, Bhadane said the court rulings had vindicated his stand and reaffirmed his innocence. He stated that the criminal proceedings and allegations that led to his removal from service had caused severe damage to his professional career and personal reputation over the past several years.
According to Bhadane, his dismissal interrupted a distinguished career in the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation, during which he was entrusted with several sensitive assignments. He said that while serving as Deputy Commissioner, he spearheaded numerous demolition drives against illegal constructions, initiated action against encroachments on public land, and pursued measures aimed at curbing corruption within the civic administration.
Bhadane alleged that his strict enforcement of municipal laws and his action against unauthorized constructions had earned him the hostility of vested interests. He claimed that certain sections within the civic administration, along with politically connected individuals affected by his actions, conspired to target him through false allegations and criminal complaints. He maintained that the cases filed against him were intended to remove him from office and derail his career.
Referring to the observations made by the courts, Bhadane said the judgments demonstrated that the allegations against him could not be sustained. He argued that the judicial findings had effectively removed the legal obstacles that had stood in the way of his return to public service.
His counsel submitted that once the very foundation of the disciplinary action has been undermined by the court rulings, the corporation should restore Bhadane to service with all consequential benefits. These, according to the legal team, include continuity of service, restoration of seniority, salary and allowances as admissible under service rules, pensionary benefits, and consideration for the promotion that would have naturally accrued had he continued in service without interruption.
Bhadane said that the next step now lies with the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation. He explained that his reinstatement can be processed after a proposal is placed before and approved by the corporation’s Mahasabha (General Body). He expressed confidence that the civic administration would respect the judicial findings and take appropriate administrative steps to restore him to service.
“The courts have spoken after examining the evidence. I have full faith that the municipal administration will now act in accordance with the law and ensure that justice is complete by restoring my service and granting me the benefits that I was deprived of,” Bhadane said.