The Supreme Court on Tuesday (September 22, 2026) heard the matter concerning the selection of the next Director General of Police (DGP) of Odisha and will continue the hearing on September 23.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana examined issues surrounding the exclusion of senior IPS officer Susanta Kumar Nath, withholding of his integrity certificate and the creation of two temporary ex-cadre posts.
Senior advocate Karuna Nundy, appearing for Nath, questioned the withdrawal of his integrity certificate, while senior advocate P. Chidambaram, appearing for the PIL petitioner, alleged that the eligibility pool was altered to exclude Nath and facilitate the inclusion of junior officers.
Chidambaram also questioned the timing of the creation of two temporary posts and the subsequent promotion of two 1994-batch IPS officers, Sanjeeb Kumar Panda and Yeshwant Kumar Jethwa, to the DGP rank.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Odisha government, opposed the allegations and indicated that the State would place its position before the Court.
The case concerns Odisha’s process of forwarding names of eligible IPS officers to the UPSC for preparation of a panel for appointment as DGP. The petitioners have alleged that subsequent changes to the eligibility list were contrary to the procedure laid down by the Supreme Court in the Prakash Singh judgment.
The Supreme Court has not yet ruled on the allegations, and the hearing will continue on September 23. The Court’s cause list confirms that the same bench is scheduled to sit on September 23.
Get Latest Updates