A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Madras High Court against the appointment of G Venkatraman (IPS:1994:TN) as Director General of Police/Head of Police Force (DGP/HoPF) in-charge of Tamil Nadu. The petition, filed by former Inspector of Police and Nethaji Makkal Katchi president R Varadaraj, is listed for hearing on September 8 before Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G. Arul Murugan.
The petitioner alleged that the State government bypassed the Supreme Court’s Prakash Singh guidelines, which require forwarding a list of all eligible DGP-rank officers to the UPSC at least three months before the incumbent’s retirement. Instead, after the retirement of former DGP Shankar Jiwal on August 31, 2025, Venkatraman, who was serving as DGP (Administration), was given ad-hoc charge.
Varadaraj argued that Venkatraman himself had prepared the list of eligible officers but was eventually appointed to the post, raising questions of transparency and fairness. He accused the government of deliberately delaying the process for political reasons, especially with Assembly elections due in 2026.
The PIL seeks to quash the government’s August 31 order, direct the UPSC to prepare a merit-based panel, and ensure that one of the senior-most officers temporarily holds charge until a regular DGP/HoPF is appointed. The petitioner has also sought an interim stay on Venkatraman’s appointment pending disposal of the case.
Also Read: G Venkataraman given charge as Acting DGP of Tamil Nadu
Join Us on WhatsApp