The Supreme Court on Thursday indicated that Jharkhand’s framework for selecting its police chief directly conflicts with established judicial precedent, prompting the state administration to inform the bench that it will reconsider the contested measures.
A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana issued a notice seeking a response from senior Indian Police Service officer Tadasha Mishra, who was appointed as the state’s director general of police under the disputed provisions. The court observed that Mishra is entitled to present her position, as any order quashing the state’s appointment rules would directly impact her position.
State Pledges Review Following Central Challenge
Representing the Jharkhand government, senior advocate Kapil Sibal submitted to the bench that the state will revisit the appointment regulations. The legal dispute arose after the Central government approached the apex court to challenge the Selection and Appointment of Director General and Inspector General of Police, Jharkhand (Head of the Police Force) Regulation, 2025, which the state government notified on Jan. 8, 2025.
Union Government Cites Conflict With Precedent
Appearing for the Centre, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that the Union government had repeatedly warned Jharkhand authorities that their regulations ran contrary to the Supreme Court’s landmark Prakash Singh judgment and were legally unsustainable. Mehta added that similar appointment regulations enacted by any other state government, regardless of the political party in governance, must also be struck down.
