GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 14th Oct. The Supreme Court has given the Jharkhand government a week’s extension to file its response regarding the “ad hoc” appointment of Anurag Gupta as acting Director General of Police (DGP) by Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s government. A bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud heard the plea filed by Naresh Makani, who sought contempt proceedings against the respondents for allegedly disobeying previous court orders concerning the DGP appointment process.
During the hearing, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the Jharkhand government, requested additional time to prepare a response. In turn, Madhavi Divan, representing the petitioner, urged the court to expedite the case, warning that delaying it would undermine the petition’s intent. The next hearing is scheduled for October 21, 2024.
The Supreme Court had previously sought responses from the Jharkhand government and Gupta on September 6, regarding allegations of non-compliance with a 2006 ruling that requires the selection of a DGP from a list of the top three senior-most IPS officers prepared by the Union Public Services Commission (UPSC).
The petitioner argues that Gupta’s appointment violates the 2006 Prakash Singh judgment and subsequent directives from the Supreme Court. According to the plea, the Jharkhand government’s notification dated July 25, 2024, which appointed Gupta to the post, is alleged to be contemptuous and politically motivated, further compromising legal standards and the principles of equality. The plea claims that the former DGP, Ajay Kumar Singh, was removed without proper protocol as outlined by the Supreme Court.