Odisha will now have to wait further to have a regular DGP, as the Supreme Court has deferred its hearing to September 2 on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the DGP selection process on Tuesday. The PIL alleged that the Odisha government was trying to circumvent the apex court order in the 2006 Prakash Singh case by including an ineligible officer in its panel for the DGP selection.
The top court had earlier directed the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) not to finalise the selection of Odisha DGP till August 18, following which the UPSC had to postpone its Empanelment Committee Meeting called on August 13 to shortlist candidates.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana is hearing the PIL.
The deferment of hearing came after the Odisha government informed the top court that the state has filed its response to the PIL, to which the apex court bench said that the reply of the state govt was not on record.
The CJI said that he would like to go through the reply of the state government. The bench then deferred the hearing on the plea to September 2.
The PIL alleged that the state govt was trying to breach the top court’s guidelines by including an ADG-rank officer in its panel for the DGP post by granting him a promotion to the rank of DGP.
Senior advocate P Chidambaram had mentioned the PIL before the apex court.
Senior IPS officer Vinaytosh Mishra (IPS:1993:OD) is currently officiating as DGP in an additional charge after Y B Khurania (IPS:1990:ID) retired on August 16.
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