THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Ranchi, January 16: Former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition Babulal Marandi on Friday alleged that the Jharkhand government violated Supreme Court directives in the appointment of the state’s Director General of Police (DGP), terming the process biased, misleading and unconstitutional.
Marandi said the state government amended the rules governing the DGP’s appointment while citing Supreme Court guidelines, arguing that several senior IPS officers were unavailable as they were on central deputation. He, however, claimed this justification was “completely misleading”.
Senior officers available but ignored
According to Marandi, none of the three senior-most IPS officers of the Jharkhand cadre holding the rank of DGP—Anil Palta, Prashant Singh and M.S. Bhatia—are on central deputation. He added that these officers still have substantial service tenures left—ranging from one to three years.
“Despite this, a junior officer (1994 batch IPS officer Tadasha Mishra) was appointed as DGP just a day before his retirement, bypassing seniority and established norms,” Marandi alleged.
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Violation of Supreme Court ruling
The Leader of the Opposition said the appointment violated the Supreme Court’s landmark judgment in Prakash Singh vs Union of India, which mandates that the DGP be selected from a panel recommended by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
He further alleged that the state government failed to follow even its own DGP appointment rules, which clearly emphasise seniority and transparency.
“The deviation from such established practices raises serious questions about intent and fairness in the current appointment,” he said.
Impact on policing
Marandi warned that arbitrary appointments at the top of the police hierarchy weaken the entire system. “The DGP is the head of the state police force. Bias and disregard for rules in such appointments encourage corruption, promote bribery in transfers and postings, and lead to extortion, blackmail and fabricated cases,” he said.
Past controversy cited
Referring to the case of Anurag Gupta, Marandi alleged that Chief Minister Hemant Soren had earlier ignored rules by assigning him charge of the ACB and CID, thereby influencing a corruption probe. He claimed the situation later deteriorated to the extent that Anurag Gupta had to be removed overnight.
Call for review
Marandi urged the Chief Minister to respect constitutional provisions and Supreme Court directives and to review the DGP’s appointment. “This biased decision should be corrected in the larger interest of the police force and public trust,” he said.
