The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that only officers who have a minimum of six months tenure left in service be considered for the post of director general of police (DGP).
A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said the recommendation for the post of DGP by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and preparation of the panel should be purely on the basis of merit.The apex court passed the verdict on a modification plea filed by former Uttar Pradesh DGP Prakash Singh.
Singh had alleged that the July 3, 2018 directive was being misused by state governments who were ignoring competent senior officers for appointment as DGPs. In that order,the court had decreed that State governments should henceforth send their proposals for DGPs to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) three months before the incumbent is due to retire, said the court.
The UPSC will prepare a panel of officers fit to be DGP in the State concerned and send them back. The State shall “immediately” appoint one of the persons shortlisted by the UPSC, the SC had then said.
The court had also passed a slew of directions on police reforms and restrained all states and Union territories from appointing any police officer as acting DGPs to avoid favouritism and nepotism in such high-level appointments.
–India Legal Bureau
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