The Supreme Court on Monday called for responses from six states, including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh, concerning allegations of non-compliance with the court’s directives regarding the appointment of directors general of police (DGP). The plea, filed by Jan Sewa Trust, asserts that several states have not adhered to the Supreme Court’s 2006 judgment in the Prakash Singh case, which set forth clear guidelines for these appointments.
The bench, led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar, has given the states six weeks to submit their written responses, followed by an additional four weeks for any rejoinders. This directive follows a submission from the Jharkhand government, which has already filed its response.
The 2006 landmark ruling aimed to ensure transparency and fairness in the appointment of police chiefs by stipulating a two-year fixed tenure for DGPs and requiring their selection from a panel of the three most senior and eligible Indian Police Service (IPS) officers prepared by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Despite these guidelines, the plea highlights several instances where states have allegedly bypassed these rules.
Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, representing the trust, cited specific cases of alleged violations, including the appointment of K Rajendranath Reddy as the acting DGP of Andhra Pradesh, who was 13th in seniority, and Anjani Kumar in Telangana, who was appointed over more senior officers. Similar breaches were noted in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal.
The trust’s plea also argues that such ad-hoc appointments not only politicize police leadership but also undermine the independence and effectiveness of law enforcement, eroding public trust and jeopardizing democratic governance. The recent legislative developments in Punjab, where a bill proposes to allow the state government to select the DGP bypassing UPSC recommendations, have further complicated the scenario.
