Respond to PIL on non-compliance with verdict on DGPs: SC to 6 states
The Supreme Court on Monday asked Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and four other states to respond in six weeks to a petition alleging non-compliance with its directives on the appointment of DGPs.
A fresh petition filed by the Jan Sewa Trust alleged that seven states — Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttarakhand, West Bengal and Jharkhand —allegedly failed to comply with the top court’s 2006 verdict in the Praksah Singh case and its subsequent directions on appointment of DGPs. Only the Jharkhand Government has filed its reply in the case.
A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna asked the remaining six states to respond to the PIL alleging widespread violations of the top court’s directions on appointments of DGPs, including those relating to their selection from a panel of the three senior-most and eligible IPS officers prepared by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and two-year fixed tenure for them.
Raising concerns over politicisation of police appointments, the petitioner submitted that ad-hoc appointments undermined the independence and effectiveness of police leadership and eroded public trust in law enforcement.
The petitioner alleged that Punjab side-lined a regular DGP in favour of the acting DGP Gaurav Yadav in 2022.
The court noted the submissions on the Punjab Police (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which proposed to empower the state government to select the DGP, bypassing the UPSC recommendations. In December last year, the Punjab Governor had reserved the Bill for consideration of the President.
The Bench emphasised the importance of its 2006 verdict in the Prakash Singh case on police reforms that laid down guidelines for ensuring transparency and fairness in the appointment of police chiefs.
