The fate of Jharkhand DGP Anurag Gupta (IPS:1990:JH) hangs in balance due to the confrontation between the central government and the Jharkhand government over his continuance as state police chief. A fresh bout of controversy has erupted over the state government’s latest decision to extend the Gupta’s tenure, scheduled to end on April 30.
The central government has now questioned the Jharkhand government’s decision to extend the service of Anurag Gupta as DGP after his retirement. The Union Home Ministry has sent a letter to state Chief Minister Hemant Soren calling its decision to retain Anurag Gupta as DGP beyond his retirement date as wrong.
The JMM government had appointed Gupta as an Acting DGP on July 26, 2024 removing regular DGP Ajay Singh from that post. Gupta was later removed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) during the state Assembly elections and was replaced with Ajay Singh. But once the Hemant Soren-led government came to power after elections, Gupta was reinstated as DGP on November 28, 2024.
In order to formalize Gupta’s appointment, the state government framed a rule outlining the process for DGP appointments and notified Anurag Gupta as the permanent DGP of the state. As according to the rule, the DGP must have a fixed tenure of two years Gupta’s term has to be extended until July 26, 2026.
But the Centre is peeved at this arrangement and hence has decided to intervene. If the centre prevails Gupta’s term may come to an end on April 30, 2025. The outcome of this situation will now depend on the state government’s next move.
On the other hand, the Jharkhand BJP unit has moved the High Court challenging Gupta’s appointment. The petition alleges a blatant violation of Supreme Court guidelines issued in the famous Prakash Singh Vs the Union of India case of 2006. The petition alleges that the state government has “arbitrarily appointed Gupta, whose name was not part of any UPSC- recommended panel.”
The Supreme Court is already hearing a case on this issue and the Jharkhand High Court has fixed June 16 as date for hearing the BJP’s plea. But the larger issue emanating from this whole controversy involves the Union Home Ministry’s stance regarding the validity of the state government’s decision to extend the tenure of its top serving bureaucrat.
(BY-Dinesh Kumar)
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