Of all government officials, men in khaki ranging from constables to commissioners looked like making the longest beeline to the CAT for resolution of their grievances in year 2012, which saw Delhi police chief Neeraj Kumar unsuccessfully challenging non-consideration of his candidature for the post of CBI director.

Kumar, who is facing Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's ire over the gangrape of a young paramedical student in a moving bus here, had to withdraw his plea from the CAT after the Centre appointed erstwhile Indo-Tibetan Border Police Director General Ranjit Sinha as CBI director.

While Kumar lagged in moving CAT for the requisite relief, senior IRS officer and Enforcement Directorate official Ashok Aggarwal, against whom the CBI had lodged a disproportionate assets case during present city police chief's tenure as a joint director with the agency, succeeded in securing a vital relief from it.

The CAT revoked the 1985-batch IRS officer's suspension, continuing for the last 12 years, saying one cannot be put under suspension "endlessly."

Another senior Delhi Police officer who had moved the CAT this year was Deputy Police Commissioner Rajiv Ranjan who had sought his promotion to the IPS cadre from DANIPS cadre.

Granting relief to Rajiv Ranjan, the CAT ordered the Ministry of Home Affairs and the UPSC to convene a meeting of review selection committee to consider the case of the 1988 batch Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Police Service (DANIPS) officer who had earlier got some of his "below par" annual confidential reports upgraded.

Apart from senior officers of the Delhi Police, 47 of its constables suspended for two years for their alleged corrupt activities had moved CAT which quashed the order against them and directed that they be given all consequential benefits.

The CAT also gave relief to IPS officer Rahul Sharma saying the Gujarat government should not have taken action against him for his deposition before the Nanavati Commission probing the 2002 riots as he enjoys immunity.

The Tribunal, however, granted no relief to a senior IFS officer Bharat Singh Rawat sacked from service for having two wives, saying the punishment to him was just and fair.

In another order, the Tribunal held that disciplinary actions can not be taken against a subordinate simply on the basis of a complaint by a senior official.

It said the contents of complaints should be proved by cross-examination and dismissed a case wherein an additional district magistrate had alleged misconduct against his driver.

The benefit of doubt can be given in criminal cases but not in departmental proceedings, the tribunal said while upholding the Delhi Transport Corporation's (DTC) decision to to deny two pay hikes to one of its drivers for his rash driving leading to a man's death despite a criminal court acquitting him in the case due to doubtful evidence.

It pointed out that the DTC driver was not acquitted on merits but had been given the benefit of doubt by the court and refused to set aside the decision taken against him in departmental proceedings.

In another matter, the counter-intelligence agency of the country, RAW, was pulled up by the CAT for its "indifferent treatment" towards one of its woman official, Nisha Priya Bhatia, after she lodged a complaint of sexual harassment against some of her seniors.