Bhubaneswar: The appointment of Odisha’s next Director General of Police (DGP) has come under the Supreme Court’s scrutiny. A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has challenged the panel of IPS officers sent by the Odisha government to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
The apex court has agreed to hear the matter urgently. The petitioner has alleged that the state government is attempting to bypass the Supreme Court’s guidelines on DGP appointments.
Senior Advocate P. Chidambaram, appearing for the petitioner, raised the issue before a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant. He said the state had earlier sent a panel to the UPSC but later withdrew it.
The petitioner claimed that a subsequent panel included three DGP-rank officers and eight ADGP-rank officers. Chidambaram said the UPSC had indicated on August 7 that it would consider only DGP-level officers.
He also alleged that an ADGP was being promoted to DGP rank for inclusion in a fresh panel. The petitioner said this could conflict with the Supreme Court’s 2006 Prakash Singh judgment.
CJI Surya Kant said the UPSC was aware of the eligibility rules and expected it to follow the court’s directions.