Anxious moments for Telugu State DGPs

HYDERABAD: The Directors-General of Police of the two Telugu states may have to face anxious moments with their appointment coming under the scrutiny of the Supreme Court.

Telangana DGP Anjani Kumar and his counterpart in AP K.V. Rajendranath Reddy were appointed by the respective state governments without following the procedure laid down by the apex court in the Prakash Singh case.

The SC bench headed by Chief Justice Y.V. Chandrachud is likely to take up on Tuesday the plea of senior advocate Prashant Bhushan to direct all the states and Union Territories to submit fresh affidavits on the compliance of directions issued by the apex court in ‘Prakash Singh vs Union of India’.

The SC laid out certain guidelines in 2006, which it time and again reiterated, for the appointment of DGPs. As per the order, the Union Public Service Commission should prepare a list of officers who are in zone of consideration as well as meritorious officers and send a panel of three names to the state government to choose from.

The top court categorically said, “None of the states shall ever conceive idea of appointing any person on the post of DGP on acting basis for there is no concept of acting DGP in Prakash Singh’s case (sic).” The incumbent DGs of the two states are running the show in their capacity as in-charge DGP.

Significantly, the Telangana government enacted The Telangana Police (Selection and Appointment of Director General of Police (Head of Police Force) Act, 2018, in Assembly on March 30, 2018, which gives the power to state government to appoint DGP on its own.

However, the SC, in its orders disposing I.A. No.s 25307/2018 and 24616/2019 dt 03.07.2018 and 13.03.2019 respectively clarified that “any legislation/rule framed by any of the states or the Central government running counter to the direction shall remain in abeyance to the aforesaid extent.”