THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Ranchi, Sept. 6: The Supreme Court today issued a notice to Chief Secretary L Khiangte and interim Director General of Police Anurag Gupta on a contempt petition seeking direction to quash the appointment of the ad hoc DGP.
The court has given them two weeks to file their replies. It also issued notices to the union home secretary and the UPSC.
The contempt petition, filed by Jamshedpur resident Naresh Makani, stated that Anurag Gupta was appointed as interim DGP replacing Ajay Kumar Singh in contravention of the guidelines laid by the Supreme Court.
Gupta is a 1990 batch IPS officer
Gupta, a 1990 batch IPS officer, was appointed as the acting Director General of Police (DGP) on July 27, replacing Ajay Kumar Singh.
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Singh, a 1989 batch IPS officer, was appointed DGP on February 15, 2023, for a two-year term through a panel approved by the UPSC in pursuance of the apex court order.
But in the middle, without any show cause, the government removed him and appointed Anurag Gupta the Director General of Police in-charge. Today, during the hearing, the Court expressed its displeasure and issued a notice.
Earlier appointments too were challenged in Supreme Court
Makani, in his petition, has said that this is not the first time the Jharkhand government has made irregular appointments of the DGP.
Earlier, it had transferred KN Choubey, the then DGP to the position of OSD (Modernization) Camp, New Delhi on June 8 2019. MV Rao, a 1987 batch IPS officer replaced Choubey. Again, Rao was removed and Neeraj Sinha was appointed in his place on February 12, 2021. Both these appointments were challenged in the Supreme Court. Sinha completed his two-year tenure on February 12, 2023, paving the way for the appointment of Ajay Kumar Singh on February 15, 2023. All these appointments were challenged in the Apex Court.
Violation of SC’s 2018 judgement
Makani, in his petition, stated that the Jharkhand government’s order, issued on July 25, 2024, appointing Anurag Gupta as the Acting DGP on an ad hoc basis is in flagrant disregard of the Supreme Court’s judgement delivered on July 3, 2018, which directs that no State shall appoint an Acting DGP as there is no such thing.
