Kerala HC sets aside KAT order that halted transfer of former DHS head

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday set aside an interim order of the Kerala Administrative Tribunal (KAT) that had stayed the transfer of former Director of Health Services (DHS) K J Reena.

The state government had recently appointed Dr V Meenakshy as the new DHS, stating that Dr Reena's tenure in the post had come to an end.

However, Dr Reena approached the KAT, which on June 18 granted an interim stay on her transfer for two weeks.

High Court overturns tribunal's interim order

The state government challenged the tribunal's order before the High Court. A Division Bench comprising Justices Anil K Narendran and Muralee Krishna S on Tuesday set aside the interim stay, according to a senior government lawyer.

The detailed High Court order is yet to be released.

In its petition, the government argued that Dr Reena's prescribed tenure as DHS had ended on February 22, 2026, and that no extension had been granted thereafter.

The state further contended that she had been transferred to another post of equivalent rank and status. It told the court that the tribunal had allowed her to continue as DHS without adequately considering these aspects.

Transfer followed criticism from Health Minister

Dr Reena's transfer came amid criticism from Health Minister K Muraleedharan over certain administrative decisions.

The minister had objected to her decision not to allot doctors for the Sabarimala pilgrimage season without consulting the government. He had also raised concerns over the alleged delay in informing him about a Nipah virus test result that confirmed infection in a Kozhikode resident.