The standoff between the central government and the Jharkhand government over the continuance of IPS officer Anurag Gupta (IPS:1990:JH) as state police chief continues unabated. The central government has once again reiterated that the state government’s decision to retain Anurag Gupta as DGP is wrong.
The Centre had earlier sent a letter to the state government directing it to retire Gupta on scheduled date of April 30. But the Hemant Soren
government has been adamant on retaining Gupta as DGP by granting him an extension of service.
The state government had responded to the Centre’s directive to retire Gupta, saying that the state government’s decision to retain Gupta as DGP was legal and based on the Supreme Court’s directive to appoint DGPs for a fixed two-year term.
While responding to the state government’s reply, the Centre has once again reiterated that it is wrong to retain Anurag Gupta as DGP as he retired on April 30, 2025. The Centre has said that the rules on the basis of which Gupta was appointed as DGP for two years were illegal.
The Centre has also added that Gupta’s continuance in his post despite retiring is also contrary to the Government Service Act and violates the Supreme Court’s order.
It is worth mentioning here that the Jharkhand government had appointed Gupta as an Acting DGP on July 26, 2024 removing a regular DGP, Ajay Singh (IPS:1989:JH), from that post. Gupta was later removed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) during the state Assembly elections. But once the Hemant Soren-led government came to power after elections, Gupta was reinstated as DGP on November 28, 2024.
Later, the state government framed new rules for the appointment of DGPs through a selection committee headed by a retired High Court judge. After the committee recommended Gupta’s name for the DGP’s post, the state government notified his appointment as the regular DGP and extended his term until July 26, 2026. This is being resisted by the Centre.
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