THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
New Delhi, July 28: A petition challenging the appointment of Anurag Gupta as the Director General of Police (DGP) was heard in the Supreme Court on Monday.
During the hearing, arguments were presented on behalf of Babulal Marandi and the DGP before a bench comprising Chief Justice B.R. Gavai, Justice K. Vinod Chandran, and Justice N.V. Anjaria.
The state government’s counsel requested additional time, citing senior advocate Kapil Sibal’s engagement in another court. The court agreed and directed the matter to be listed again after one week.
BJP state president and Leader of the Opposition in the Jharkhand Assembly, Babulal Marandi, had filed a contempt petition challenging Anurag Gupta’s appointment as DGP.
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His counsel informed the court that the Jharkhand government first appointed a particular officer as acting DGP and later made him the full-time DGP. The Election Commission had removed this officer during the Assembly elections, yet the government reinstated him after the polls.
The counsel representing the DGP told the court that no proceedings were pending against him and that his appointment fully complied with the guidelines laid down in the Prakash Singh vs Union of India judgment.
Meanwhile, the state government sought more time to present its arguments.
However, the senior advocate appearing for the Centre supported Babulal Marandi’s contention and questioned the legality of the appointment. The court directed notices to other respondent states for filing their responses.
Babulal Marandi’s petition before the Supreme Court alleged that Anurag Gupta’s appointment as DGP violated the directions issued in the Prakash Singh vs Union of India case.
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The petition, which named the Chief Secretary and others as respondents, claimed that the UPSC-recommended DGP was wrongly removed to facilitate Anurag Gupta’s appointment.
It further stated that the removal of the previous DGP contravened the conditions set by the Supreme Court for such action, making the appointment of Anurag Gupta an act of contempt.