Bhubaneswar, Aug 11: The appointment of Odisha’s next Director General of Police (DGP) has reached the Supreme Court, with a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the panel of Indian Police Service (IPS) officers forwarded by the state government to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
The apex court agreed to hear the petition on an urgent basis after the petitioner alleged that the Odisha government was attempting to circumvent the Supreme Court’s guidelines governing the appointment of a state police chief.
Senior Advocate P. Chidambaram, appearing for the petitioner before a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, submitted that the state government had initially sent a panel of officers to the UPSC but subsequently withdrew it.
According to the petitioner, a subsequent panel reportedly comprised three officers of DGP rank and eight officers holding the rank of Additional Director General of Police (ADGP). Chidambaram told the Court that the UPSC had indicated on August 7 that it would consider only officers eligible at the DGP level.
He further alleged that an ADGP was being promoted to the DGP rank to make the officer eligible for inclusion in a fresh panel. The petitioner claimed that such a move could be contrary to the Supreme Court’s directions laid down in the landmark 2006 Prakash Singh case, which established guidelines for police reforms and the appointment of state police chiefs.
Responding to the submissions, CJI Surya Kant observed that the UPSC was fully aware of the eligibility criteria as well as the Supreme Court’s directions. “We expect the UPSC to adhere to our judgment,” the Chief Justice said.
The Court also indicated that if an allegedly ineligible panel is submitted, the UPSC must deal with it in accordance with the apex court’s earlier rulings.
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