Police officers with 6 months tenure left should be considered for DGP post, says SC; no leave for UP Police ahead of elections

The Supreme Court Wednesday clarified its last year order on police reforms and said officers who have a minimum of six months tenure left in service shall be considered for the post of director general of police (DGP).

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said the recommendation for post of DGP by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and preparation of the panel should be purely on the basis of merit. The apex court passed the verdict on a modification plea filed by former Uttar Pradesh DGP Prakash Singh.

Singh had alleged that the 3 July, 2018, directive was being misused by state governments who were ignoring competent senior officers for appointment as DGPs. The court had in July last year passed a slew of directions on police reforms and restrained all states and Union territories from appointing any police officer as acting DGPs to avoid favouritism and nepotism in such high-level appointments

Meanwhile, in Uttar Pradesh, the leave of all Uttar Pradesh police personnel has been stopped by the state authorities due to the Lok Sabha election.

According to a directive of the state Director General of Police OP Singh to all the district police chiefs, leave of all types of police personnel is stopped from 15 March till further order in view of the general election. Leave may be sanctioned by the officers concerned in special cases, the DGP added.

With inputs from PTI