SC extends tenure of Punjab, Haryana DGPs till January 31

Satya Prakash
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, December 12

The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed Punjab Director General of Police Suresh Arora and his Haryana counterpart BS Sandhu to continue in office till January 31.

Both the DGPs were due to retire on September 30 but the governments of Punjab and Haryana had given three-month extension to their respective police chiefs till December 31.

A Bench headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi passed the interim order on applications filed by the two states seeking modification of the SC order making it must for states and UTs to take the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) assistance in shortlisting names of senior IPS officers for selection of DGP. Punjab and Haryana have enacted their own laws for appointment of DGPs.

While giving one-month extension to the two DGPs, the top court posted the matter for hearing on January 8.

The top court had in 2006 issued a series of directions, including a fixed tenure of two years for police chiefs, setting up of a state security commission to insulate police force from political influence and separating law and order duty from investigation. On July 3 this year, it further directed all states and UTs not to appoint any police officer as acting DGP and issued certain other directions on police reforms to check favouritism and nepotism in appointments after it was pointed out that many states were appointing acting DGPs and then making them permanent just before their superannuation to extend them the benefit of an additional two-year tenure.

According to the July order, the states were required to send a list of senior police officers to the UPSC at least three months prior to the retirement of the incumbent. The UPSC would form a panel and inform the state concern. The state government would immediately appoint one of the persons from that panel.

In September, the J&K Government had requested the SC to modify its July 3 order which effectively banned appointment of acting DGPs and made it mandatory for states to send a list of three senior-most IPS officers to the UPSC for clearance before appointing a DGP.

The J&K Government had on September 6 appointed Dilbag Singh as acting police chief, replacing SP Vaid, who was made the transport commissioner. The process of consultation with the UPSC was initiated within 12 hours of Vaid’s transfer. Refusing to interfere with J&K’s  decision, the SC had sought Attorney General KK Venugopal's assistance to decide if norms could be relaxed. 

Fresh directions

• On July 3, the SC made it mandatory for the states to send a list of senior police officers to the UPSC at least three months prior to the retirement of the incumbent
• The commission has to then form a panel and intimate the state concerned, which in turn will immediately appoint one of the persons from among that list