The issue of state governments dilly-dallying on appointing regular DGPs again came up for hearing in the Supreme Court on Monday. The apex court asked Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and four other states to respond within six weeks while hearing a petition alleging non-compliance with its directives on the appointment of regular DGPs.
A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna asked these states to respond to the PIL, filed by one Jan Sewa Trust, alleging widespread violations of the top court’s directives on this issue.
The top court had clearly laid down its guidelines for the appointment of DGPs in the famous Prakash Singh vs. the Union of India case in 2006.
The SC had prescribed for the selection of DGPs by state governments from a panel of the three senior-most and eligible IPS officers prepared by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), with fixed two-year tenure. But several states have been bypassing the SC’s directive by appointing DGPs on ad-hoc basis.
The PIL names seven states — Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttarakhand, West Bengal and Jharkhand —out of which only the Jharkhand government has filed its reply in the case.
The petitioner has submitted that ad-hoc appointments undermine the independence and effectiveness of police leadership and erodes public trust in law enforcement.
The Bench emphasised the importance of its 2006 verdict.
