New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday deferred the hearing on the case concerning the appointment of Odisha’s Director General of Police (DGP), fixing the matter for September 22.
The hearing focused on issues raised by amicus curiae Raju Ramachandran regarding the empanelment and eligibility lists prepared for the DGP selection process. Among the issues discussed was the exclusion of senior IPS officer Susanta Kumar Nath from the eligibility list, besides concerns relating to the integrity certificate of an officer.
The amicus also raised questions over the inclusion of two officers who were promoted to the DGP rank after the initial list of eligible officers had been sent to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
The matter relates to the process followed by the Odisha government in forwarding names of IPS officers to the UPSC for preparation of the panel for appointment of the state police chief. Initially, the state government had sent the names of three DG-rank officers, following which questions were raised over the subsequent inclusion of additional officers in the selection process.
The petition challenging the selection process has raised concerns over adherence to the Supreme Court’s directions in the 2006 Prakash Singh judgment, which laid down guidelines for appointment of state police chiefs, including the preparation of a panel by the UPSC from among eligible senior officers.
The Supreme Court’s eventual decision in the matter will determine the further course of the DGP appointment process in Odisha.
