NEW DELHI, July 3:
The Supreme Court today passed a slew of directions on police reforms in the country and restrained all States and Union Territories from appointing any police officer as acting Directors General of Police (DGPs) to avoid favouritism and nepotism in such high-level appointments.
The top court’s direction came on an application filed by the Centre in which it claimed that certain States have been appointing acting DGPs and then making them permanent just before the date of their superannuation to enable them get the benefit of an additional two-year tenure till the age of 62 years.
A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud passed slew of directions for appointment of State police chiefs.
“None of the States shall ever conceive of the idea of appointing any person on the post of Director General of Police on acting basis, for there is no concept of acting Director General of Police…,” the bench said.
Chronicling the steps to be taken for appointment of the police chief, the Apex Court said, “All the States shall send their proposals in anticipation of the vacancies to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) well in time, at least three months prior to the date of retirement of the incumbent on the post of Director General of Police”.
It said the UPSC shall then prepare a panel as per the earlier directions of the court and intimate it to the States, which in turn shall immediately appoint one of the persons from that list.
“An endeavour has to be made by all concerned to see that the person who was selected and appointed as the DGP continues despite his date of superannuation,” the bench said and added that the extended term beyond the date of superannuation should be a reasonable period.
“We say so, as it has been brought to our notice that some of the States have adopted a practice to appoint the Director General of Police on the last date of retirement, as a consequence of which the person continues for two years after his date of superannuation. Such a practice will not be in conformity with the spirit of the direction,” it said.
The top court said the UPSC, while considering the names for empanelment, shall look for those people as far as practicable with clear two years of service left before superannuation. (PTI)
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