Supreme Court To Hear Next Week Plea Against Jharkhand DGP

The Supreme Court's 3-judge bench is scheduled to hear the plea against the holding of office by the present Director General of Police (DGP) of Jharkhand, Anurag Gupta, on the ground that his continuation is contrary to the decision in Prakash Singh v. Union of India. 

Senior Advocate Anjana Prakash Gupta, representing certain social activists who have moved against the Director General of Police (DGP) of Jharkhand, mentioned the matter before the bench led by CJI BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran. She said :

"This is with respect to the DGP in Jharkhand who is continuing the office, despite the direction of the Court as to the requirements of the post of DGP. Now there is a big tussle. The state government has stopped his salary ...then suddenly started it again, so there is a big tussle on account of which the state is suffering." 

The bench agreed to list the matter before a 3-judge bench on the coming Wednesday or Thursday. 

The counsel here was referring to the decision in Prakash Singh v. Union of India, where the court had issued several directions, including the setting up of a state security commission, to ensure the government does not exercise unwarranted influence on the police. 

Subsequently, in 2018, a three-judge bench of the Court restrained all states from appointing the Director General of Police (DGP) in an acting capacity, observing that such a concept is not perceptible on any analysis of its 2006 judgment in Prakash Singh's case.

Notably, on September 6, 2024, a bench of then CJI DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra sought the response of the Chief Secretary of the State of Jharkhand in a contempt petition challenging the appointment of IPS Anurag Gupta as the Acting Director General of Police (DGP) to be violative of the decision in Prakash Singh v. Union of India.